The Coordinated Response (CORE) Team at St. Olaf is charged with conducting initial assessments of all reports of sexual harassment. This assessment process ensures prompt, thorough, equitable, and fair processes for all persons involved in Title IX, discrimination and retaliation matters and helps to maintain the safety and well-being of individual students and the St. Olaf community as a whole. Members of the CORE Team include Pamela McDowell (Title IX Coordinator), Christopher Medley (Associate Dean of Students ), Jeff Favreau (Director of Public Safety), Kelly Mahlum (Athletic Director), Susan Smalling (Director of Faculty Inclusion and Belonging) and Eduardo Pazos (Vice President for Community and Belonging). All new reports of sexual harassment and discrimination are discussed weekly at the CORE Team meetings. In accomplishing its purposes, the CORE Team strives to protect and safeguard the privacy of all involved.
One of the primary functions of the team is to determine whether a report of sexual harassment or discrimination requires the establishment of interim measures to ensure the well-being of the individuals involved, such as limited-contact orders or academic accommodations. Another function is to determine whether a report raises concerns about ongoing safety risks that could obligate the college to initiate a Complaint Resolution Process, even if the reporting student requested otherwise. Such cases are extremely rare; the CORE Team generally follows the expressed preferences of the reporting party. The CORE Team strives to protect and safeguard the privacy of all individuals involved in prohibited conduct matters while performing a careful assessment of and response to reports.