7.17.23 - Message from the President

Dear Campus Community:

With appreciation for your candid feedback and ongoing engagement, I want to update you on our continued efforts to nurture and strengthen our culture of caring, safety, belonging, and respect at Fresno State. Two comprehensive Title IX reviews of the California State University System will be released this week.

The first report, conducted by the Cozen O’Connor Institutional Response group as part of a systemwide effort across our 23 California State University campuses, has assessed how Fresno State responds to reports and incidents of discrimination and harassment. 

Through a series of interviews, campus visits, survey results, and email feedback, Cozen O’Connor made key observations regarding improvements at both the system and university levels. The recommendations from their assessment will guide our efforts to improve our Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (DHR) training, awareness, prevention, intervention, compliance, and support systems. 

The full written report of the systemwide Cozen O’Connor assessment, including a summary report and a separate report concerning Fresno State, can now be found on the CSU’s Commitment to Change and our new campus Title IX Implementation websites. 

In addition, on May 24, Cozen O’Connor presented to the Board of Trustees an initial overview of their assessment. (View a recording of the presentation here: https://youtu.be/37GVdhqjn5o. The Cozen section begins at 23:15.)

The second report, conducted by the California State Auditor, is expected to be released tomorrow and will focus on the consistency and timeliness in which campuses respond to sexual harassment allegations and whether the CSU has adequate systemwide policies and procedures in place for preventing, detecting and addressing sexual harassment. 

We expect that these two reports will provide comprehensive recommendations that we can apply specifically to our campus. I am proud of the solid foundational progress that Fresno State’s Title IX Task Force has made in furthering our efforts to strengthen education, responsiveness, and resources in regards to Title IX, DHR, and micro- and macro-aggressions.  

These report recommendations will complement and strengthen those put forth by our campus Title IX Task Force. Our next step is to build on this foundation: The Title IX Implementation Team will convene to develop a plan that will advance and implement these recommendations. The plan will not be finite but will undergo an ongoing assessment to ensure its currency and efficacy.  

This work will be challenging and will require a phased implementation in light of the significant additional resources it demands. My sincere thanks to the implementation team for their commitment to this vital effort. Communication and education will be key to our noble goals and we will continue to share our progress and specific plans as they develop.

Thank you again for helping to ensure that Fresno State is a safe and inclusive place, where all of us can thrive.

Sincerely,

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D
President