2015 OCR Campus Visit

OCR Staff

Caitlin Stanley Burks, OCR attorney
caitlin.burks@ed.gov
(206) 607-1620

Amy Klosterman, OCR attorney
amy.klosterman@ed.gov
(206) 607-1622

Representatives from U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) visited Western's campus from the 1st through the 3rd of November, 2015. 

This campus visit was part of OCR's investigation of Western Washington University under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs.

About the Visit

OCR invited students, faculty and staff to meet with them to provide feedback about their experiences with reporting sexual harassment and sexual violence to WWU, and WWU’s training, policies, procedures, and resources for preventing and responding to sexual harassment, including sexual violence.

OCR held listening sessions for students and had private office hours for anyone who had feedback on November 1st through 3rd in 2015, at the campus locations listed. Participants were not required to provide their name to OCR, and OCR did not provide WWU with any names of those who came to meet with OCR either in groups or individual interviews. Individuals could bring an advocate or someone they trust when they met with OCR. If students would like help finding an advocate, they may contact WWU’s Consultation & Sexual Assault Support (CASAS) at (360) 650-3700, or Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County (DVSAS) at (360) 715-1563. Faculty and staff may also contact DVSAS.

For those that wanted to meet privately with OCR, OCR set up an anonymous way for individuals to sign up for timeslots using index cards with numbers outside the office hour locations. Individuals could contact OCR in advance if they were comfortable identifying themselves and wanted to make an appointment for the office hours.

Listening sessions lasted one hour and private office hour appointments were 20 minutes. Self-identified groups of faculty, staff or other community members were also welcome to contact OCR to set up times to meet. If anyone was unable to attend in person, they were welcome to contact OCR directly to set up a telephone conversation. OCR staff were available on an ongoing basis after the onsite visit. OCR staff were available in several locations each day.

OCR Listening Sessions


 

11/01/2015

Viking Union 565

  • Students listening session 1pm – 2pm
  • Students listening session 2:15pm – 3:15pm
  • Private office hours: 3:30pm – 6pm

Wade King Recreation Center 219

  • Private office hours 1pm – 3:30pm
  • Students listening session 3:45pm – 4:45pm
  • Students listening session 5pm – 6pm

11/02/2015

Viking Union 567

  • Private office hours 9:30am – 11am
  • Private office hours 4:45pm – 6pm

Viking Union 565

  • Students listening session 1:30pm – 2:30pm
  • LGBTQIA students listening session 4:30pm – 5:30pm

Viking Union 464

  • Private office hours 2:30pm – 4:30pm

11/03/2015

Viking Union 464

  • Private office hours 8:30am – 10:30am

Miller Hall 154

  • Students listening session 10:45am – 11:45am
  • Private office hours 1:00pm – 4:30pm

Viking Union 565

  • Students listening session 3:30pm – 4:30pm