April 3, 2025
Dear Campus Community,
On Jan. 31, 2025, the Chancellor鈥檚 Office released their which provides direction to each CSU and the Chancellor鈥檚 Office itself for implementing a structured and effective OCC plan. These expectations, created in response to the (2023), guide our work to ensure that our institutional approach to reporting, addressing, and assessing OCC at 华体会 is transparent, fair, consistent, and responsive to the needs of our campus community. See our campus Cozen O鈥機onnor Recommendations for ongoing progress updates in each of five major areas of concern for our campus, the fifth of which addresses OCC. Please note that 63% of our recommended tasks were complete as of Dec. 31, 2024, with thanks to our Title IX & Inclusion and OCC teams.
The Systemwide Guidance defines OCC as 鈥渃onduct that does not violate CSU policies or local, state or federal laws and, therefore, does not warrant disciplinary action but that nevertheless negatively impacts the learning, living and working environment of the CSU community.鈥 This is not a new concept, nor is it a new requirement of each CSU campus to respond to such complaints, as this is part of the normal supervisory process and we have been doing so throughout our campus history. Along with other CSU campuses, however, our significant challenges in doing this work well have been in ensuring clear documentation, timely follow-through, consistent response strategies, and assessment of institutional efficacy in our OCC response plan.
Our OCC team has been working since the beginning of this academic year to address the seven tasks identified in our Cozen O鈥機onnor Recommendations specific to Other Conduct of Concern. At this time, three of the seven tasks have been completed, with significant progress made on the remaining four.
The team鈥檚 work to date includes the following:
- Website: A landing page for reporting conduct concerns, with links to the OCC Reporting Form and OCC FAQs, Title IX & Inclusion, and Student Conduct
- : A centralized reporting mechanism that includes online and anonymous reporting options, noting the university's limited ability to respond to an anonymous report
- Infographic: A four-step guide to what to expect when reporting OCC
- Title IX/DHR Review: A process to ensure that OCC reports are assessed by Title IX and DHR professionals and evaluated for potential avenues for resolution
- Assessment Plan: A documentation system to enable tracking of responsiveness, effectiveness, and trends
- MPP Support: Development of interactive workshops on navigating OCC to be provided for all supervisors beginning in Summer 2025
The website and reporting form are live and ready for use, though we anticipate opportunities to learn and improve processes over time. Toward that end, the OCC team is hosting zoom sessions for 华体会 employees to review the Chancellor鈥檚 Office Final Systemwide Guidance on Other Conduct of Concern, review the website, and respond to questions submitted 鈥 all in the interests of ensuring that our OCC process is transparent, fair, consistent, and responsive to the needs of our campus community.
Register below for faculty and staff zoom sessions:
- May 2, 1-2pm
- May 2, 3-4pm
The work ahead requires a shared commitment. Addressing OCC effectively is not just about compliance; it is about fostering a culture of care, accountability, and proactive engagement. I appreciate your partnership in this important work.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
President