Report 2017-125 Recommendation 24 Responses

Report 2017-125: The University of California: It Must Take Additional Steps to Address Long-Standing Issues With Its Response to Sexual Harassment Complaints (Release Date: June 2018)

Recommendation #24 To: University of California

To address any patterns or systemic problems of sexual harassment, by July 2019 the systemwide office should work with each campus to develop and implement processes and data reports to assist the campus in regularly identifying patterns and systemic problems related to sexual harassment and in instituting sexual harassment prevention education and training in those areas that need it.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From August 2021

The Systemwide Title IX Office worked with IRAP and the campus Response Team Coordinators to refine and expand the metrics for data it collects from the locations; the new metrics improve accuracy and facilitate analysis and reports to allow the Systemwide Title IX Office and campus Title IX offices to, among other things, better identify patterns and systemic problems and to better target prevention education and training to areas that need it.

The Systemwide Title IX Office required that campus Title IX Offices implement processes to assist them in regularly identifying patterns to inform training and outreach, among other measures, and that they confirm implementation of these processes to the Systemwide Title IX Office; these requirements are memorialized in the data metrics reporting instructions and written guidelines the Systemwide Title IX Office issued to the campuses on July 15, 2019.

In consultation with IRAP, in July 2019 the Systemwide Title IX Office adopted internal protocols for working with, providing systemwide data to, and monitoring each campus to ensure it is utilizing data to identify and respond to patterns and problems.

The Systemwide Title IX Office worked with a vendor to create a common case management system (CMS) for use by all campuses and the Systemwide Title IX Office. The CMS will allow the campuses and the Systemwide Title IX Office to run custom campus-specific and systemwide reports that allow them to identify location-specific and systemwide patterns and trends. The CMS was launched in December 2020, and all campuses are using the new system for reports under UC's Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) Policy.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

With the confirmed implementation of the University of California's case management system, we now consider this recommendation fully implemented.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020

The Systemwide Title IX Office worked with a vendor over the past year to create a common case management system (CMS) for use by all campuses and the Systemwide Title IX Office. The CMS will allow the campuses and the Systemwide Title IX Office to run custom campus-specific and systemwide reports that allow them to identify location-specific and systemwide patterns and trends. The CMS is in the final phase of testing by the Systemwide Title IX Office and campuses, and will go live across the UC system in December 2020. Implementation was delayed due to a combination of the Title IX regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education in May 2020, which required that UC substantially change its systemwide policies and therefore the structure of the CMS, as well as the effects of COVID-19 on University operations.

The Systemwide Title IX Office hired a full-time data analyst in August 2019. The analyst has worked closely with the vendor and campus Title IX offices to build and implement the CMS systemwide. The analyst's responsibilities also include reviewing and analyzing campus data, and assisting the campus Title IX officers and Systemwide Title IX Director in identifying and responding to trends systemwide.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Although the office of the president has make significant progress in addressing our recommendation, this recommendation is partially implemented because the office of the president has not yet implemented its data system. As noted in the response, the system has an implementation or 'go live' date of December 2020.

1-Year Agency Response

The Systemwide Title IX Office worked with IRAP and the campus Response Team Coordinators to refine and expand the metrics for data it collects from the locations; the new metrics improve accuracy and facilitate analysis and reports to allow the Systemwide Title IX Office and campus Title IX offices to, among other things, better identify patterns and systemic problems and to better target prevention education and training to areas that need it.

The Systemwide Title IX Office required that campus Title IX Offices implement processes to assist them in regularly identifying patterns to inform training and outreach, among other measures, and that they confirm implementation of these processes to the Systemwide Title IX Office; these requirements are memorialized in the data metrics reporting instructions and written guidelines the Systemwide Title IX Office issued to the campuses on July 15, 2019.

In consultation with IRAP, in July 2019 the Systemwide Title IX Office adopted internal protocols for working, providing systemwide data to, and monitoring each campus to ensure it is utilizing data to identify and respond to patterns and problems.

The Systemwide Title IX Office contracted with a vendor to implement (by January 2020) a common case management system (CMS) for use by all campuses and the Systemwide Title IX Office. The CMS will allow the campuses and the Systemwide Title IX Office to run custom campus-specific and systemwidewide reports that allow them to identify location-specific and systemwide patterns and trends.

The Systemwide Title IX Office is in the final stages of hiring a full-time data analyst whose job responsibilities will include working with the vendor and campuses to implement the CMS systemwide; gathering, reviewing and analyzing data collected from campuses; and assisting the campus Title IX officers and Systemwide Title IX Director in identifying and responding to trends systemwide.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

Although the office of the president has make significant progress in addressing our recommendation, this recommendation is partially implemented because the office of the president has not yet implemented its data system or completed its hiring of the analyst to review and analyze sexual harassment data.

6-Month Agency Response

The Systemwide Title IX Office worked with IRAP and campus RTCs to expand and refine the metrics for data it collected by and from the locations. The new metrics will improve accuracy and facilitate analysis to allow the Systemwide Title IX Office and campus Title IX offices to, among other things, better identify patterns and systemic problems and to better target prevention education and training to areas that need it. The Systemwide Title IX Office will work with each location to ensure it is utilizing data to identify and respond to patterns and problems.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

The systemwide office describes that it has expanded and reined metrics for data collection. It has expressed intent to work with the campuses to use the data. We look forward to reviewing its progress in its 1-year response.

60-Day Agency Response

The Systemwide Title IX Office will work with the Office of Institutional Research and Academic Planning to refine the metrics, streamline the process, improve accuracy, and facilitate the analysis of data collected by and from the campuses to, among other things, allow the campuses to better identify patterns and systemic problems and to better target prevention education and training to areas that need it.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: No Action Taken

The systemwide office has expressed its intent to implement the recommendation. We look forward to reviewing its progress in its six-month response.

All Recommendations in 2017-125

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.