UPDATE: Addressing Sexual Violence at Baylor

Dear Baylor Family,

Last week I shared with you information concerning the high priority we have placed on implementing improvements across campus to increase the safety of students at Baylor University. We have committed to doing all we can to implement change based on the recommendations of Pepper Hamilton, LLP following their independent review of the University's response to reports of sexual violence.

Since then, I have heard from many members of the extended Baylor Family. So many of you have written to express your support and to say you are praying for the University. Your words of encouragement and your prayers are felt and appreciated. Thank you.

I have also heard from many who are discouraged, disappointed or angry about the University's actions. Let me assure you all that we are deeply sorry for the harm done to students in our care. Even during the course of Pepper Hamilton's investigation, we began adopting improvements to our processes, and now we are pursuing the other improvements remaining in the recommendations. Today we released information about Task Forces that are actively at work. I want to share a few details with you:

• Pepper Hamilton delivered 105 recommendations to us. Baylor's leadership accepts these as mandates and is actively addressing them.
• We have announced the formation of the Sexual Assault Task Force under the leadership of Dr. Reagan Ramsower, senior vice president and chief operating officer, and the Spiritual Life and Character Formation Task Force led by Dr. L. Gregory Jones, executive vice president and provost.
• A number of implementation teams have been launched to address Title IX protocols and policies, athletics, engagement and education, centralized reporting and resolution, public safety, counseling and advocacy and more. These teams are staffed by faculty, staff, administrators and students who care deeply about the University. They already are hard at work to make improvements.
• Please read more about the Task Forces and Implementation Teams in the media release distributed today.

As implementation teams enact improvements and changes, we will keep the Baylor Family informed through updates at thefacts.web.baylor.edu.

Respectfully,

David E. Garland, Ph.D.
Interim President