ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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‘U’ changes sex misconduct procedures New policy demands investigations into all allegations By AUSTEN HUFFORD Online Editor
The University has adopted a new policy for how it responds to student sexual-misconduct allegations, transitioning from a complainant-driven model to one driven by University investigators. Per the policy, the University has assumed the burden of internally investigating all allegations of student sexual misconduct, which includes allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. The policy doesn’t deal with the criminal repercussions that result from law enforcement investigations, which are outlined in federal, state and local laws. A 2011 Department of Education mandate clarified that Title IX, the federal anti-sex discrimination statute, obligates universities to actively investigate sexual misconduct allegations. In response, the University reviewed its sexual misconduct allegation policies and implemented an interim policy in August 2011. The newly effective final policy follows fine-tuning process over the last two years, which brought together the directors of the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Office of Institutional Equity, the Sexual Assault
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Awareness and Prevention Center and a staff member in the Office of the General Counsel. In addition to discussions at several community forums, survivors of sexual assault and other people who were impacted by the previous policy were also consulted. The policy also instructs the Title IX coordinator, the person who ensures the University follows the mandate’s regulations, to notify law enforcement of potential criminal sexual misconduct allegations. This may prevent situations where investigators know about criminal misconduct allegations but do not inform police. This seemingly occurred recently when reports of sexual misconduct at the Zaragon Place apartments were not conveyed to University police until a third student came forward making accusations against the suspect in two previous assaults. The new policy clarifies that only three University divisions — SAPAC, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office of Ombuds — offer full confidentiality to students who report misconduct. It states that students should assume that reports made to any other University official will be shared with the Title IX coordinator and investigated following the new procedure. Non-confidential sources include professors and residential advisers. This has raised some concern over whether survivors could unknowingSee MISCONDUCT, Page 3A
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
LSA senior Madeline Dunn observes the student farm at the Matthei Botanical Gardens on Monday.
CRIME
Assault reported late AAPD fails to notify UMPD of sexual assault near campus By TAYLOR WIZNER Daily News Editor
A student was sexually assaulted Saturday while walking in the parking lot of an off-campus apartment, according to a University
crime alert sent out Monday evening. While University Police often release crime alerts regarding off-campus sexual assaults with information from the Ann Arbor Police Department, University Police said they weren’t made aware of a sexual assault reported to the AAPD on Saturday until an inquiry by The Michigan Daily on Sunday afternoon. According to UMPD, the student was walking in an apartment parking lot at
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
By AMRUTHA SIVAKUMAR Daily Staff Reporter
Every year, as a fresh lot of students set foot on campus, a new Central Student Government takes its seats at the helm of the student body. On Tuesday, for the first time this academic year, CSG President Michael Proppe and Vice President Bobby Dishell, leaders of CSG political party youMICH, will lead a new slate of student body representatives. As the 2012-2013 academic year came to a close, the CSG executive branch completed a total of 58 projects over eight areas of campus improvement. Former CSG President Manish Parikh and Vice President Omar Hashwi fulfilled all of their election promSee CSG, Page 3A
In an interview with the Daily before the crime alert was sent, the student said a UMPD officer called her to explain there would be no public alert sent out because University Police didn’t have enough information about the incident. However, when asked Sunday whether an alert would be sent out, University Police said the Daily’s inquiry was the first they had heard of the incident. Shortly after, a crime See CRIME, Page 3A
GREEK LIFE
CSG gears up for new fall term Pres., VP to announce commision chair nominations
about 10 p.m. Saturday on East University Ave. near Hill St. when an unknown male approached her and grabbed her buttocks before riding away on a bicycle. The suspect is described as a 5-foot-9-inch, middleaged black male who was wearing a blue hat, shorts and a gray T-shirt at the time of the incident. UMPD is classifying the assault as fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which is a misdemeanor.
FratPAC lobbies U.S. Senate, House for tax-exempt pledges Legislation would make more types of donations tax-deductible By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Freshmen move into the newly renovated East Quad Residence Hall building Monday, Aug. 26.
Residence Life Initiative updates residence halls South, West Quad are final projects of Coleman’s initiative By WILL GREENBERG Daily Staff Reporter
This is the first article in a series on housing at the University. A 2004 University Presidential Initiative described the
future of student residence hall life at the University as creating a “good city.” Nine years later, the city is two major reconstructions away from creating a fully modernized and interconnected dorm life. The Residential Life Initiative includes an array of both major and minor renovations to most of the 18 residence halls on campus. The RLI continues with ongoing
renovations to South Quad Residence Hall, and will conclude with construction in West Quad Residence Hall starting May 2014. University Housing spokesman Peter Logan described University President Mary Sue Coleman’s vision for the residence halls as an enhancement to the residents’ education inside and outside of the classroom. “Our focus has been on See HOUSING, Page 3A
Daily Staff Reporter
About 40 percent of U.S. senators and a quarter of U.S. representatives participated in Greek life during college, according to Bloomberg. Now, they’re pledging again. This time, however, their providing loyalty to their former institutions by supporting a multi-million dollar tax break for Greek life as it makes its way through Congress. The Fraternity Political Action Committee, an eightyear-old political action committee that lobbies on issues related to fraternities and sororities, is working to pass legislation that would effectively allow Greek alumni to donate money as a tax write-off to directly fund the construction or renovation of
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their chapters’ houses. Under current rules, only money donated to fraternities and sororities for the purposes of education, such as for the creation of a library, qualifies as taxdeductible. The bill, first reported by Bloomberg, was introduced in 1996 after a fire at a University of North Carolina fraternity killed five students and garnered national attention. Ann Arbor’s fraternity and sorority houses have suffered from several fires in the past decades as well. Most recently, damage caused by a blaze in 2008 forced the University’s chapter of Delta Upsilon to undergo a fouryear remodel on their house. Mary Beth Seiler, director of Greek life at the University, says the new legislation would have a positive effect on University Greek life, making it easier to fund the renovations that many of the sorority and fraternity houses require. “I actually had kind of forgotten that this legislation was pending because it has been going on for such a long time,” Seiler said. See FRATS, Page 3A
A Grande Debut Ariana Grande channels Mariah Carey on ‘Yours Truly.’
Five things we learned against Central Michigan.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIII, No. 123 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A ARTS......................6A
DISCOUNTS..............8A S P O R T S T U E S DAY. . . . . . . . . .1 B N E W S T U D E N E D. . . . . . . . . .1 C