DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) – St. Norbert College President Brian Bruess is saying that a third-party investigation into St. Norbert College’s Title IX program and campus safety has been completed.
He wrote in a statement to the St. Norbert Community that the investigation “determined that the college’s Title IX policies and procedures are solid, but that there is a lack of trust in the process.”
According to Mike Counter, St. Norbert’s Director of Media Relations, the investigation report will not be made public in order to protect the privacy of individuals involved in the report.
Mindy Rowland, the owner of Spark LLC in Madison, conducted the investigation, according to Bruess.
Students who had direct experience with the Title IX policies dating back fourteen years were interviewed and the investigator talked to nearly 70 people, according to the letter.
“One significant finding of the investigation is that there are a number of examples of interdepartmental and interpersonal tension and conflict,” says Bruess.
He adds that the college has “taken significant steps to improve the way our college handles Title IX and campus safety.”
Bruess says the college has modified its Title IX reporting process, created an online campus security incident report, established a survivors’ group to support victims, and increased the frequency of the college’s shuttle service based off input from students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
The investigation stems from letters that were penned by faculty and alumni and sent to Bruess in order to express frustration over the college’s handling of sexual assault reports. The letters were largely critical of Rev. Jay Fostner, who is the Vice President for Mission and Student Affairs as well as an assistant professor of psychology.
Bruess says the investigation cleared Fostner of doing anything wrong and the letter states “the report does not necessitate the suspension or termination of any employee.”
Bruess’s letter reads as follows:
Dear St. Norbert College Community:
Over the past several months, we have taken significant steps to improve the way our college handles Title IX and campus safety. Informed by the input of many students, faculty, staff and alumni, we have made important changes, including modifying our Title IX team reporting structure; creating an online campus security incident report to give students real-time access to information; establishing a survivors’ group to support victims of sexual harassment and misconduct; and increasing the frequency of our shuttle service to improve student safety, among others.
I also authorized an independent investigation of our college’s Title IX process. Drawing on my 25 years of experience with Title IX, I knew it was important to have an unbiased review of our processes and gain the historical context for how our college has handled Title IX cases, and to seek input directly from people who have had experience with our processes. In October, the college contracted with an experienced investigator who conducted a review of our processes and interviewed nearly 70 people including students, alumni, faculty and staff. Because of the sensitive nature of Title IX cases, the investigator assured those who participated in the report that their information would be kept confidential. Therefore, I am not able to release the report in its entirety, but I believe it is important to share the overall findings and my action plan for moving forward.
Title IX report findings
Overall, the report determined that the college’s Title IX policies and procedures are solid, but that there is a lack of trust in the process.
The investigator interviewed students who had direct experience with our Title IX policies and procedures dating back 14 years. Some of these students had concerns about how the college handled their investigations. The investigator acknowledged that in many cases their concerns have since been addressed by the college’s changes to our Title IX policies and procedures based on federal guidance, insights from specific cases, and feedback from students, faculty, and staff, particularly the college’s comprehensive response to the April 23, 2018 student petition. To everyone who shared their experiences with the investigator, please know the insights from the report are incredibly helpful to my understanding of this issue and will provide the context I need to lead us through additional changes.
One significant finding of the investigation is that there are a number of examples of interdepartmental and interpersonal tension and conflict. In addition, within the broader college community, there is confusion and misunderstanding about the Title IX team’s roles, responsibilities and oversight. These realities are perpetuating a lack of confidence in our Title IX program.
The investigation also brought to the surface a few items requiring additional review, including updates to our website, refinements to specific protocols in a few offices, and questions related to data collection and reporting.
Next steps
The report does not contain policy recommendations, but the investigator strongly supported the commitment I made this fall to conduct a legal review of our Title IX program. This review will be conducted this spring in coordination with the anticipated roll out of the new Title IX regulatory changes proposed by the U.S. Department of Education.
In addition, I have requested that the Title IX Coordinator and Interim Dean of Students identify other program or structure changes that were not noted in the investigation but could be implemented to improve our processes. Specifically, I asked them to consider ideas around refinements to our website, more explicitly defining Title IX roles and responsibilities, and improving the process for responding to the hearing board, investigations, and investigation reports.
A critically important part of moving forward is addressing and resolving the interpersonal and interdepartmental conflicts revealed in this process, which is something I am already doing directly. The report does not necessitate the suspension or termination of any employee.
It is also clear that some structural changes will be required to ensure the long-term successful implementation of Title IX. This spring semester will offer an opportunity to align structural and programmatic changes with the revisions to Title IX law. The Interim Dean of Students role will continue to oversee the student conduct system and help inform any additional reorganization. The Title IX Coordinator position will continue to report directly to me.
Soon I will be naming a new Interim Dean of Students who will help us maintain this momentum. Dr. Sarah Swager, who has been serving in that role, has been named Vice Provost for Student Success at the University of Montana. This wonderful opportunity allows her to return to her home state and be closer to her parents. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah for the remarkable impact she has made in her time with us.
Within the context of our annual theme, Contemplation: Action Begins Within, I am reminded of our collective responsibility to learn from the last several months and move forward with the clear intention of living our college values. While a well-functioning college policy is foundational, more important is our collective vision for a community and society that values all people and works together to disrupt and change the culture of violence evident in society. This is my enduring hope and our collective responsibility.
Thank you to everyone who has played and will continue to play an important part in this work. I believe that through this independent investigation, upcoming legal review, improvements to our policies, processes and procedures, and addressing the interdepartmental and interpersonal issues identified in the report, we can rebuild confidence in our Title IX program. It is critical that students, staff, and faculty feel confident in our college’s ability to care for them and address the issues they report. If you have any questions about our Title IX processes, policies or upcoming changes, please contact me and/or our Title IX Coordinator Dr. Amanda Kim.
Sincerely,
Brian
