Dear Members of the St. Olaf Community,

Last week I wrote to you about the important issue of sexual assault and the rigorous debate in the St. Olaf community about how we can best address incidents that threaten the safety and well-being of our students.

I announced the formation of the Title IX Working Group to critically review our policies and procedures, seek input from the community, and make recommendations for policy changes to be implemented by the start of the 2016-17 school year. This email announces the membership of that group. Their work begins immediately. The first steps include defining a process and timeline and obtaining student feedback before students depart campus at the end of the term, so that the committee has ample opportunity to receive their suggestions and concerns.

This group is undertaking a critical task that will require both significant study and a sense of urgency. It is empowered to proceed independently and to retain expert advice and counsel at its own discretion.

The Working Group is charged with:

• Conducting a comprehensive review of the college’s Title IX policies and procedures with transparency, rigor, and a strong commitment to St. Olaf’s values;
• Ensuring compliance with the latest federal and state regulations and guidelines;
• Seeking input and advice from students who have participated firsthand in St. Olaf’s Title IX processes and from other members of the St. Olaf family;
• Ensuring that the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and opinions of our community are reflected in our Title IX policies;
• Considering the policies and practices of other colleges and universities with particularly robust policies, and the thoughts of other experts; and
• Providing informed and specific recommendations on how the college can improve its Title IX policies to the President by July 15, 2016.

Members of St. Olaf’s Title IX Working Group include:

• Tim Maudlin ’73, Chair; member of the St. Olaf Board of Regents and Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee
• Emma Lind ’17, Student Government Association President-elect and past Co-chair, the St. Olaf It’s On Us campaign, a White House initiative to change the way people think about sexual assault
• Kaelie Lund ’16, Co-chair, St. Olaf Sexual Assault Resource Network (SARN)
• Ryan Bowles, Athletic Director
• Matt Marohl, Campus Pastor
• Sue Smalling ‘97, Associate Professor of Social Work
• Karla Benson-Rutten, Title IX Coordinator, Macalester College
• Jill Fedje ’85, Assistant Ramsey County Attorney
• Carl Lehmann ’91, higher education and Title IX attorney at Gray Plant Mooty, and co-founder of trainED
• Erica Staab-Absher, CMT, BSW, Executive Director, HOPE Center

Regent Tim Maudlin ’73 will chair the group. Tim serves on the St. Olaf Board of Regents and chairs its Audit Committee which oversees the College’s process for monitoring compliance with laws, regulations, and codes of conduct. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Luther Seminary. He completed 12 years of service on the Augsburg Fortress Board of Trustees this past year. He currently serves on seven corporate boards, always as an independent director and as Audit Committee chair. I am confident that under Tim’s leadership, the Working Group will complete its charge and recommend productive changes.

We have created a dedicated page on St. Olaf’s website where the community can:

• Submit recommendations, concerns and ideas;
• Learn more about working group members;
• Read the charge that will guide the group’s work; and
• Access meeting summaries, timelines, and updates.

I encourage you to visit the site and subscribe to ongoing updates. The Working Group will deliver its recommendations to me by July 15, and I will share them with the community.

We are grateful for the Working Group’s willingness to serve the St. Olaf community on a very important issue. We look forward to carefully considering all of its recommendations and commit to implementing any policy changes before the start of the 2016-17 academic year.

Care, compassion, and a commitment to continuous learning and growth define the St. Olaf community. We are committed to getting this right and will do so with your help, prayers and support.