By Vanya Quiñones

Cal State Monterey Bay is committed to ensuring that all members of our community feel welcome, safe and supported in their well-being. To uphold this commitment, we adhere to two critical legal obligations: Title IX and the Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (DHR) laws and policies. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal funding.

Effective implementation of Title IX and DHR policies is essential for ensuring equal access to academic and athletic opportunities for all students. Through tracking the type and number of incident notices, our university is better equipped to identify areas of need and take proactive steps to ensure a safer community. We gain valuable insights into the experiences of the campus community and we can assess the effectiveness of programming, enhance training where needed and make sure that we are responding swiftly and effectively to reports.

By addressing issues of sexual harassment and assault, Title IX fosters a safer, more inclusive campus environment, ensuring fair and equitable learning experiences for everyone. Moreover, it takes proactive steps to educate students, faculty and staff on Title IX regulations, healthy relationships and bystander intervention to prevent sexual misconduct. Ultimately, a strong Title IX framework ensures a safer campus where students can report incidents without fear of retaliation.

In the past two years, CSU campuses, including Cal State Monterey Bay, have made significant strides, at both the university and system-wide levels, to strengthen Title IX/DHR processes.

One guiding principle at Cal State Monterey Bay, as we continue to engage in these efforts, remains ensuring an effective and transparent process. We have restructured our Title IX office and made staffing changes that have streamlined processes and fostered better collaboration between departments. Additionally, we established the position of ombudsperson to provide a pathway for mediation and to support our campus community in addressing difficult conversations and topics.

Equally important, the partnership between internal units supporting the health and well-being of the Otter community has been strengthened. The Care Team, composed of members from various units, identifies students experiencing distress or facing concerns within the university to ensure their well-being. Communication between Human Resources, the ombudsperson and Title IX/DHR offices has been enhanced to ensure each report receives proper attention. The reporting system has been updated for ease of use and made more prominent on the website, and awareness of Title IX/DHR processes and resources on campus has been raised.

We are committed to ensuring transparency in our reporting processes. The CSU Chancellor’s Office has established comprehensive oversight and standard reporting mechanisms for all campuses and has created a new data dashboard that provides consistent reporting across the system. The introduction of the dashboard accompanies the release of a systemwide annual report that shares the number of reports received by the Title IX/DHR offices at each campus.

While Cal State Monterey Bay’s 2023-24 numbers show an increase compared to previous years, they also reflect positive progress. The rise in reports indicates that more people are feeling comfortable coming forward. The recently released data highlights our efforts to raise awareness of the Title IX/DHR office, improve access to and communication about our reporting system, and ensure faster response times. Additionally, unlike other CSU campuses or universities, Cal State Monterey Bay faces a unique set of challenges as a residential campus, with over 58% of students and approximately 50% of employees living on campus.

As we continue progressing, our primary goal is to ensure that every member of our community feels both safe and welcomed. Equally vital is our unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance stance against any form of discrimination. While we recognize that our work is ongoing, we remain steadfast in our dedication to maintaining a safe environment for all. We are fully committed to this crucial effort, which supports the safety and well-being of our Cal State Monterey Bay community.

Vanya Quiñones is the president of CSU Monterey Bay. She is also a neurobiologist, biopsychologist and noted researcher.