Many universities – including the University of Louisville – are finding new ways to support students and one particularly soothing strategy has undergraduate and graduate students reporting ”paws-itive” mental health benefits: therapy dogs.��

UofL often brings in puppies for stress relief events during finals week. And the UofL Police Department got its latest comfort dog, Lily, in spring 2025. Since then, Lily and her handler, patrol officer Jacob Robinson, have become some of the most welcome faces across campus. Lily is a certified Crisis Response/Therapy K9 and she loves cuddles.��

“Some of our most cherished relationships are those that we have with our dogs. They listen without judgment, and they calm and comfort us just by being present,” said professor Jessica Eggleston, who teaches an urban studies course at UofL titled “Dogs in Society: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the Human-Canine Connection.”��

Two recent studies further examined the role of dogs on college campuses. A����recruited 145 first-year students, all of whom had left a beloved pet at home, and randomly assigned them to either several sessions with therapy dogs throughout the semester or to the control group. The results? The therapy dog group reported significantly lower rates of stress, depression and anxiety than the control group.��

��DzԲ����ܱ�Գٱ���,����found that students from all levels can benefit from engagement with therapy dogs – not only homesick first-year students, but also graduate students who tend to be excluded from campus activities and services. At the end of the study, grad students reported feeling less stressed and happier.��

Eggleston says there’s a scientific reason therapy dogs help improve students’ mental health and it’s all about a long-standing relationship.��

“Dogs have been active human partners for over 15,000 years, with some scholars suggesting the relationship has been closer to 40,000 due to archaeological evidence,” she said. During��that time, dogs have picked up on human context, she added, making them special in the animal world.��

“The capacity to recognize these social stimuli or cues is unique to canines; even our non-human primate cousins are unable to pick up on these cues like��pointing, nodding, reaching for objects and more,” Eggleston said. “The history of our relationship with these animals lends itself to a unique connection between the species.”��

Eggleston saw that relationship play out in her own classroom, with her own very good pup, her black lab, Oliver, who got a boost from her students.

“On more than one occasion, I looked up and noticed a student laying on the floor with my dog, Oliver,” she said. “Oliver passed away in July after a long battle with an immune-mediated disease but I think the best years of his life were spent in urban and public affairs being adored by students.”

For college students and dogs alike, a little puppy love goes a long way.��

Follow Lily on��.

By Maria Arteaga Mendoza

UofL is conducting the study in partnership with Segal, a human resources consulting firm with expertise in higher education, to provide fair and equitable faculty (nonclinical) and staff compensation programs as identified in the university’s 2019-22 strategic plan. The university will use the results of this study to:

• Provide opportunities for career development and advancement;
• Provide a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package; and
• Follow “best practice” philosophy and align the university’s job and pay structure with the market.

According to Mary Elizabeth Miles, vice president for human resources, the two-year evaluation is on schedule to finish in July, at which time the committees will report findings to university vice presidents, deans and vice provosts for implementation strategies. Cherie Dawson-Edwards, vice provost for faculty affairs and an associate professor for the Department of Criminal Justice, added that the market assessment for the faculty portion of the study will finish in March and noted that the study only considers faculty base pay – not administrative supplements.

Learn more on the Compensation and Total Rewards Study .

Col. Steven Green, director of public safety and chief of the University of Louisville Police Department (ULPD), provided an update on department initiatives. Green said that more RAVE alerts are being sent due to a recent decision to include incidences of crime on the outskirts of UofL’s campuses. While on-campus crime rates remain stable, ULPD felt it important that visitors to/from campuses be made aware of any safety concerns in the immediate areas.

Learn more about ULPD services on the department’s .

In other action …

• The senate approved a measure to close the Master of Arts degree in teaching of art history due to lack of enrollment. There are no students currently enrolled in the program, so no teach-out plan is necessary.
• Senator Michael Cunningham introduced a matter to consider revision of Red Book rules that apply to how faculty are consulted in the selection of university senior administrators. The Red Book Committee will consider the matter.
• Senate President Eugene Mueller asked senators to send him their thoughts on how to address the emergence of artificial intelligence-generated programs, such as Chat GTP.

Committee reports and other information from the March 1, 2023, UofL Faculty Senate meeting are available on the senate’s . The next meeting of the UofL Faculty Senate will take place Wednesday, April 5, at 3 p.m. in the Elaine Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, Belknap Campus.

From homesickness and difficult course loads to the added anxiety of the pandemic, college is full of stressors. That’s where K9 Hoss comes in. Unlike traditional police dogs, the 4-year-old Labrador’s duties involve less drugs and more hugs as the University of Louisville Police Department’s first therapy dog.��

“We believe that a primary mission of law enforcement is to provide service to [our community],” said Sergeant Diana Brian. “Having a support dog is an excellent example.”

In 2018, Brian began looking into the use of therapy dogs on college campuses and within police departments. Between the benefits to those experiencing emotional trauma and the ability to alleviate feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation and loneliness, the idea of a ULPD therapy dog was not far-fetched.��

It didn’t take much convincing before ULPD’s Chief Gary Lewis agreed, but plans were stifled when the university turned to remote work in early 2020. The pandemic brought a new set of challenges and stressors, highlighting the growing need to have a therapy dog program in place by the time students return to UofL this fall.

Sergeant Brian’s idea was going to become reality, but she still needed to find and train a dog. That’s when Hoss traded his days at home as the Brian family pet for a ULPD badge.

“One day at home [Hoss] was being really sweet and I thought ‘Why can’t I just use him?,’” said Brian.

Patient with children and gentle around the elderly, Hoss was already a great choice. He completed American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen training as a prerequisite to his upcoming therapy dog training, and started his on-campus duties in mid-July.

Since then, Hoss has hit the ground running – and sometimes laying. If Hoss can provide even a moment of comfort, support or happiness, he’s done his job.

In his short time on campus, he’s already made an impact. When Sergeant Brian took her most recent report from the UofL PEACC center, Hoss joined her to provide comfort in a time of trauma.

“[The student] pet Hoss while she was making the report and that was really helpful,” said Brian. “I hope to incorporate that a lot.”

In addition to helping community members through emotional trauma, one of ULPD’s goals for Hoss is to provide positive interactions between law enforcement and members of the campus community.

“[We want] to get away from the traditional visuals of a uniformed officer with a working dog and continue to reinvigorate our community relations amongst our students, faculty and staff,” said Chief Lewis.

It’s no secret why therapy dog programs are being adopted at police departments across the U.S. – when they aren’t comforting community members, they’re coming to the side of officers and dispatchers after stressful calls. While Hoss’ work is primarily focused on students, faculty and staff, his benefit to the department comes as an added bonus.

Campus has quickly become a second home for the four-legged officer. When he’s not roaming the halls of the station, he’s usually out patrolling campus or visiting various offices to bring a smile to the face of a few Cardinals.

When Hoss enters a room full of people, he can’t help but get excited. But before long, he’s usually settled in with his head on the lap of someone he’s decided needs a bit of added affection. ��

“I call it the Labrador lean,” said Brian.��

If you see him on campus, badges and all, don’t hesitate to give him a hug. They’re always welcome.

Lewis provided an overview of the current state of the University of Louisville Police Department. Despite a rise in violent crimes reported to the Louisville Metro Police Department, Lewis informed senators that the university community has seen a decrease in violent crimes. Lewis stated, “I credit that decrease to the men and women of the ULPD, who create a barrier of stopping and deterring potential crime as it’s happening.”

Senators were informed about the success of several programs including the ULPD and Criminal Justice Internship Program. A former participant from the program that started as an intern has now graduated and will be hired on to become an officer within the department. Lewis highlighted this successful program as an important alignment with the Department of Criminal Justice and a worthy investment in students.

ULPD also reported community-wide upgrades to security and surveillance technology. Additional cameras have been placed around the Cardinal Towne apartments to eliminate a low visibility zone around the building. Similar improvements will continue to be implemented across all three university campuses.

Lewis also addressed concerns raised after an incident at University of Louisville Hospital that was not identified to the university community through the RAVE alert system. The incident was handled internally by the hospital’s security staff rather than ULPD forces. Lewis also provided clarification on the Clery Act, the federal law requiring colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on campus. After meeting with risk management and legal advisors, the determination was made that the incident in question fell outside of the geographical scope of the Clery Act. Lewis cited that this is due to the University of Louisville Hospital retaining private security and the Louisville Metro Police Department serving as the primary responding agency.

Staff Senate Chair John Smith followed up by announcing the launch of a new Comprehensive Emergency Response Center. The center will handle a wide range of emergencies on a university-wide scale. The center will be housed on the Health Science Campus on the first floor of the Nursing School building.

Bendapudi provided senators with highlights from the past semester. She reported that enrollment reached 23,000 in the fall 2020 semester, the highest it has been in the past 20 years. Research funding was at an all-time high at $170 million, and Bendapudi reported that it will continue to increase. She also highlighted the positive effects of last year’s university healthcare enterprise expansion.

“I am so grateful that so many people came together to allow us to back the acquisition of the Louisville-based assets of Kentucky One, It’s been a little over a year since we took over all of the assets. Imagine where we would have all been with COVID-19 without Jewish hospital, without Mary and Elizabeth. It’s a scary thought so I’m very grateful that continues to go well,” Bendapudi said.

The Staff Senate Grievance Committee reported one grievance filed in the last month. A small hearing committee met with the grievant, a first line supervisor, and a witness in the case. The recommendation was submitted to all parties, the grievant authority agreed with the grievance committee’s recommendation, and the disciplinary action was upheld.

Committee reports and a full video recording of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The Staff Senate will not meet in the month of January. The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on Feb. 9 via Teams.

President Bendapudi��focused her report on university updates around issues of racial inequity.��

“What a time it has been hasn’t it? We all were dealing with COVID-19 and figuring out what to do and then an epidemic that has been around a long time also came to the surface, and that is of course the systemic racism that we experience, and we see.”������

Bendapudi shared��national statistics on racial inequity and said the university is pledging to take on an anti-racist agenda that tackles issues of systemic racism.��

“I’m calling this our year of accountability,” she said.��������

In her recent meeting with the��Black Student Union, students requested that the university change the name of the Honors House and that UofL divest from Louisville Metro Police Department.����

Bendapudi��explained that she did not realize the Honors House was still called the Overseers Honors House and she asked Chief Operating Officer Mark Watkins to immediately��take action. Watkins painted over the sign and an official name change and sign replacement will take place after board approval.������

Bendapudi��reminded senators that over a year ago, she also noticed that the university advisors to the president were called the Board of Overseers. She requested at that time for the name to be changed due to the term “overseer” having historical ties to slavery. The group is now called the President’s Council.��

With regard to��divestment from LMPD, Bendapudi explained that as an urban university it would not be possible. Multiple city streets intertwine with university campuses, especially the Health Sciences Center and Shelby campuses. She clarified that the University of Louisville Police Department does not have any written contract or formal partnership with LMPD. ULPD does, however, rely on LMPD officers to��provide assistance��with security and traffic control at athletics events, for example. The university will��look into��ways it can reduce that need over time.��������

There are more initiatives happening across the university to advance UofL’s anti-racism agenda. Chief of Police��Gary Lewis will ensure that ULPD is the lead law enforcement body for any investigation dealing with a member of the university. He is also leading a plan to ensure all ULPD officers undergo training that has input from faculty, staff and students. An academic equity audit is being led by Cherie Dawson-Edwards, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice. The audit will entail a thorough review of curricular content that identifies strengths, deficits and opportunities to improve Criminal Justice education around social justice priorities. Many LMPD officers are enrolled in UofL’s criminal justice courses.��

Detailed descriptions of actions being taken can be found in Bendapudi’s letter to the Black Student Union.
��
A few senators expressed their concerns about nontenured faculty of color needing more support and that there should be visible demonstrations of the university’s commitment to black faculty.����

Bendapudi��agreed that the university must do more. She shared that she and other local college and university leaders have committed to finding solutions to end racial inequity. This written commitment can be found��online.������

Provost Beth Boem��shared that she has strongly supported leadership development opportunities for faculty of color. She hired two executive positions last year that were filled by people of color—the Dean for the School of Music and the Chief Information Officer. Additionally, three of the five people registered for the ACC leadership development programs this year were faculty members of color.����

“I��really believe it’s important for us to recruit and retain faculty of color and I am sorry whenever we fail to retain,” she said.��The Faculty Diversity Update��Presentation from last year can be accessed��.��Provost Boehm will provide an updated report at the next Faculty Senate meeting.����

Boehm��shifted her report to address the����provided in her recent��.�� ��

“What we have��[in the plan] is a hybrid model and one that seeks some kind of capacity to start one way and shift if we need to,” she said.������
������
Some senators expressed concern with asynchronous learning plans and a discussion followed about the pros and cons of the hybrid learning model. Boehm answered questions and encouraged senators to continue��submitting��feedback.��The Pivot to Fall Coordinating Committee will utilize feedback to reshape the plan for fall.����������

EVPRI Kevin Gardner shared the ways in which research work is slowly reopening. Regular research town halls are being facilitated and they are open to the entire university community.��The research Grand Challenges as part of the strategic plan are being moved forward. The three challenges include: empowering our communities, advancing our health, and engineering our future economy. Gardner emphasized these are critical issues for the university and he plans to advance those challenges over coming months.����
������
Faculty Senate Chair Krista Wallace-Boaz reported that Faculty and Staff Senates are expanding their standing executive committees to form a COVID-19 Advisory Committee to Faculty and Staff Senate leadership. Once confirmed, membership will be posted on the Faculty and Staff Senate websites.

The Redbook Committee had their second reading of the University Libraries revised����and��. Also, the Academic Programs Committee presented two certificate proposals: Human Resources Leadership and AI in Medicine. Both Libraries documents passed and both certificates passed.������

Committee reports and a video recording of the��virtual meeting can be accessed on the��.�� The next Faculty Senate meeting��is scheduled for July 1 via video conference.��

“Dear��Maliya:��

Thank you, again, for reaching out to me and for spending your time and energy advocating for change in a moment when it is desperately needed. I know we do not know each other well, but I hope to earn your trust as an ally in this work in the weeks, months and years to come. I have pledged since I arrived at UofL to do my best always to celebrate diversity, foster equity, and strive for inclusion. I appreciated very much spending time with you and the BSU officer team yesterday.

I, too, am outraged by the murder of Breonna Taylor in our own backyard. I am heartbroken. Breonna was a meaningful part of our city and of our UofL Health family. There is no excuse for the behavior of the individual officers involved. Police brutality in any form at any time is a violation of a contract between individuals and our criminal justice system. This, compounded by the recent killing of David “Yaya” McAtee has left our community hurting, grieving and suffering once again.

You raised two key issues in your letter to me: 1) the UofL Police Department’s (ULPD) relationship to the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), and 2) the name of the Honors House. I want to address each of these issues and explain how I intend to move forward.

ULPD and LMPD

One of the central duties of any leader in any organization is to maintain the safety of her constituents. I take this responsibility very seriously in my role as president. Since your email, I have engaged a significant number of individuals in conversation about this issue including our Chief Diversity Officer Faye Jones, Chief of Police Gary Lewis and Criminal Justice Department Chair Cherie Dawson-Edwards, all leaders with important perspective on this issue.

Your request for us to immediately terminate our relationship with LMPD would not make our campus or its constituents safer, and it would be an insufficient answer to a very complex problem. The harder work in a necessary partnership is to change, mold and evolve the partnership and the partner to best facilitate the university’s need without compromising our values. We have already begun to do this and will take additional intentional steps to ensure we are doing everything we can to make this so.

It is important to understand several things about ULPD’s ties to LMPD and the police force in the city and the commonwealth:

• The two police forces have concurrent and, in some cases, overlapping jurisdiction in various geographies throughout the city and based on the nature of an incident. Because of this fact, there has been a long-standing relationship between the two police forces to ensure adequate resources exist to support the community, but there is not a formal document or agreement between the two agencies that stipulates the parameters of this relationship.
• In February 2019, Chief Lewis requested assistance from LMPD in increasing a law enforcement presence following a number of significant crimes. This collaboration resulted in the successful apprehension of a rape suspect.
• In late 2019, ULPD initiated steps to reduce the number of LMPD officers working special athletic events on our campus and were successful at making this change.
• Under previous leadership, LMPD provided a large percentage of services, however, under the leadership of Chief Lewis, ULPD – a state certified law enforcement agency – takes the lead role in protecting our campus community.
• Regularly, we engage with LMPD for real-time investigative support that ensures the safety of our campus community. ULPD does not have the infrastructure or the funding to support these real-time investigations independently.
• UofL is home to the Southern Police Institute (SPI), a 60-year old police leadership training institute right in the heart of the Belknap campus. SPI provides training and courses, many led by UofL Criminal Justice faculty members, to a significant number of officers each year.
• The Department of Criminal Justice has important relationships with LMPD that fuel the department’s scholarship and community impact, and many faculty at the University have contracts with LMPD for community engaged research projects that inform best practices in related areas of study.
• ULPD Chief Lewis has led numerous campus sessions over the last year to engage students, faculty and staff on how he could best lead ULPD and what additional safety measures the campus was looking for. Hundreds of individuals have participated in these sessions in the last year and changes have been made in our policing approach based on the feedback. These sessions will continue this year as well.

The items I have shared here are merely to show that we have an intricate relationship with LMPD that touches many parts of our campus and virtually all of our faculty, staff and students. This is not to say there are not significant issues within the police force that must be addressed. This is true and they must, but our relationship with LMPD is necessary to the University for these reasons and more.

Again, I believe the harder approach and the one we will commit to is evolving and molding our partnership with LMPD so it clearly reflects our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, our Cardinal Principle, and other guiding values of our institution. There is no way to build a comprehensive plan for that evolution in a few short days, but some immediate steps we will commit to take include:

1. Ensure ULPD as Lead Law Enforcement Agency
   ULPD will serve as the lead agency in any investigation dealing primarily with a member of the campus community. Joint investigations including LMPD will still occur as dictated by jurisdictional overlap and nature of an incident. This change has already begun, but will be formalized and enforced.
2. Perform Equity Audit in All Criminal Justice Academic Programs
   Cherie Dawson-Edwards, in her capacity as department chair and with support from the Office of the Provost, will lead an equity audit of all academic programs. The Department of Criminal Justice offers multiple programs that educate current and future LMPD officers, including police leaders. These courses will be audited for the inclusion of social justice-focused principles in the coursework. The equity audit will include the Police Executive Leadership Development Certificate, BSCJ, MSCJ and Ph.D. programs.
3. Reduce Need for External Law Enforcement Support at Athletics Events
   Chief Lewis and Vince Tyra will find additional and alternative ways to continue to reduce the need to have direct support by outside law enforcement agencies. With a venue the size of Cardinal Stadium, relying upon partnering agencies is a national model, but we will look closely at this partnership while not compromising safety and security for our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus venues.
4. Provide Training for All Partnering Officers

Chief Lewis, in partnership with Dr. Dawson-Edwards, students leaders and other UofL constituents, will develop a de-escalation and cultural sensitivity training that will be required for any police officer working a university-sponsored event or hired by ULPD. This training will be developed and deployed no later than the beginning of the fall semester.

5. Leverage Southern Police Institute (SPI) as Catalyst for Change
The Department of Criminal Justice (CJ) and the Southern Police Institute are uniquely positioned to have a positive impact on the current social unrest, in relation to the criminal justice system. Leadership in the department and institute will work together on the following items:

• Curricula has historically been developed to provide training and technical assistance as a result of mandates from the federal government. SPI, in partnership with CJ, has the ability to be “ahead of the curve” and develop a more robust procedural/social justice component which can be used to create new stand-alone classes as well as integrated into our current Police Executive Leadership Development Certificate and Continuing ����ֱ�� curricula.
• Since 1951, the SPI mission has aligned it with the early civil rights movement and traces its actual founding to healing the divide between the police and the minority community. SPI and the Department of CJ are uniquely positioned to sponsor seminars/panels to discuss social or procedural justice issues with our students (including law enforcement students) and featuring police and social justice leaders as speakers to address those “difficult conversations” with our campus community.
• SPI has long standing and large scope access to police leadership all over the United States, through our network of graduates of our education and training programs. This access allows for a direct conduit to the decision/policy makers and today’s American law enforcement community. The respected SPI brand could be used to connect academic and progressive change models with the law enforcement community.

To reiterate, this is neither the beginning nor the end of the work we will do. We are actively assessing our partnerships and working to ensure they reflect the values of our institution and support the success of our students, faculty and staff.

Honors House

The term “overseers” is a racialized term. It hearkens back to American slavery and reminds us of the brutality of the conditions and treatment of black people during this time. The term is also one widely used in higher education. This is true because this institution like so many others has evolved within the same racist system that led to the murder of Breonna Taylor. If we are committed to an equitable anti-racist environment, the term should not be used at UofL. I take responsibility for this issue not being addressed earlier.

As you may or may not be aware, more than a year ago and after consultation and conversation with many justice seeking stakeholders in this campus community, I led the conversation to change the name of our Board of Overseers to the President’s Council. This decision was made intentionally and in recognition of the racist implications of the term I mentioned before. Had I been more intimately familiar with the campus and the names of the buildings, I would have made the same change at the Honors House that I made with my main external advisory board.

On Monday, my team implemented an interim solution to remove this problematic term from the sign outside the Honors House. We will be purchasing a new sign as a permanent step and will have that in place as soon as we can get it delivered (certainly before the start of the Fall Semester). As a further step, I have asked my team to comb our websites to make sure that we remove digital references to this term on sites that we control and maintain. Importantly, this change requires final approval by the Board of Trustees given our institutional naming policy requirements. The chair of our trustees has given provisional approval to have the name removed and the board will vote to formalize this change at its June meeting.

This sign has likely caused incalculable and unnecessary pain to many of our students, faculty and staff over the years. I am sorry that it was not addressed sooner, but it is done now.

Moving Forward

After meeting with you, it became abundantly clear that we have not centered the voices and experiences of students in our efforts for change in the ways we must to effectively move forward. To that end and at your suggestion, we will commit to:

• Require Student Representation on All Change Initiatives

Whether it is on the criminal justice academic programs equity audits, the development of officer training programs, or other measures that arise from our ongoing conversations, I will require our leaders to include student representation, particularly the Black Student Union, to ensure the approaches we take are informed by the lived experience of our most fundamental constituency.

• Elevate Students’ Lived Experiences as Catalysts for Change

Dr. Dawson-Edwards, Chief Lewis and I commit to bolster the number of opportunities that exist for students to directly engage and inform the learning of law enforcement officers, including those in SPI. Truly understanding the lived experiences of our students and your expectations for police conduct will serve as a meaningful catalyst for mutual understanding and change.

I know this answer is probably still insufficient in meeting your calls for revolution, but it is incredibly important to remember that we are a city within a city. We do not exist on the outskirts or the far edge of our metropolitan area, we are right in the center of the Greater Louisville area, our Health Sciences Campus is in the heart of downtown Louisville and our ShelbyHurst campus is in the relatively more suburban east end. These concurrent, and in some cases overlapping, jurisdictions between our three campuses and the larger city require a good working relationship between ULPD and LMPD to ensure the safety of our Cardinal Family as best we can as we move seamlessly and regularly between the campus and city. Indeed, without this strong relationship we would not be able to keep our campuses safe.

During our conversations, I was encouraged by your thoughtfulness and commitment to demanding justice and nothing less. I imagine I will fall short of that call in some of our institutional responses, but I commit to meaningfully moving the needle and changing our trajectory. The time is now. My chief of staff and external affairs, Michael Wade Smith, is developing a plan that evolved from our conversations that will acknowledge the great social justice achievements of our past, highlight the ongoing social justice actions of the present, and, most importantly, lay a path for the important and necessary anti-racism work we must do to move forward as a campus community. I hope to share more on this initiative in the coming week.

As we committed to yesterday, I look forward to staying in regular contact as we work through these issues. I also hope you will engage with Chief Lewis and Dr. Dawson-Edwards as they take the steps listed above to improve our approach to campus and community safety. You have my cell phone number. If you need ANYTHING during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Neeli Bendapudi,��President”

As you may recall, September 22, 2017, the Department of ����ֱ��’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) rescinded the Obama administration’s April 4, 2011 Title IX implementation guidance (commonly referred to as “the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL)”), issuing interim guidance and a related Q&A document in its place. The and can be found on OCR’s website.

In addition, on November 29, 2018, OCR issued setting forth extensive new draft regulations concerning institutions’ obligations in responding to reports of sexual misconduct.�� The 60-day public comment period for the proposed regulation closed on January 30 of this year.�� OCR received well over 100,000 comments, and must now review and respond to any substantive comments before issuing final regulations.�� How long this process will take, and what effects any new regulations may have on the universities policies and practices, is uncertain.���� General information on the administrative rulemaking process, or on specific NPRMs, can be found at ; the docket number for the proposed Title IX regulations is ED-2018-OCR-0064. ����

It is important to emphasize that notwithstanding OCR’s rescission of the Obama era guidance, related requirements, including UofL’s mandatory reporting guidelines discussed below, remain intact as a matter of university policy.��

However, it is possible that any regulations OCR promulgates may require us to revisit our policies and practices; should future developments make revision of those policies and practices necessary or appropriate, we will keep the university community apprised as appropriate.

Any questions related to the implications of ongoing legislative and regulatory developments concerning Title IX compliance and enforcement should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator.

Title IX and Clery Act Mandatory Reporting Guidelines

Introduction:��There are two federal laws that establish responsibilities for employees of universities to report certain types of crimes and incidents, especially sexual misconduct — Title IX and the Clery Act. Each of these areas of federal law has a different purpose, but generally the laws are intended to protect members of the campus community, visitors, and guests from criminal and discriminatory behavior. The responsibilities established by these laws give rise to the term “responsible employees.”��

Title IX focuses on the adverse consequences faced by victims of gender discrimination and sexual harassment and obligates the University to investigate any such misconduct and respond promptly and effectively to stop the harassment, prevent its recurrence, eliminate the effect of any hostile environment that may have been created, and remedy those effects as appropriate.�� If the victim is a student, Title IX means among other things that the University must provide an environment that does not interfere with the victim’s right to pursue an education.���� The University incurs this obligation when a victim has given notice to a “responsible employee,” or when the University otherwise knew or, in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known, about the assault or harassment.��

The Clery Act creates a duty for institutions to report crimes in different categories (listed below) to the federal government, and has the broadest scope.�� Guided by the language of the Clery Act and subsequent amendments, the University is required to define which employees must report information they receive regarding crimes.��

Responsible Employees��

Employees designated as “responsible employees” under Title IX and the Clery Act include any employees who have the authority to take�� action�� to�� redress�� sexual�� harassment,�� who�� have�� the�� duty�� to�� report�� sexual misconduct by students or employees to University administration, or an individual whom a student could reasonably believe has this authority or responsibility which include, but are not necessarily limited to:��

• Vice Presidents, Deans, Department Chairs, Directors, Coaches (including assistant coaches and athletic trainers)
• Assistant or Associate Vice Presidents, Deans, and Provosts
• Any employee in a supervisory or management role
• All Faculty (including adjuncts, as well as graduate teaching assistants when acting in their teaching capacities)
• University of Louisville Police Officers and any contracted security personnel

1. As to Title IX, when you become aware of an alleged act of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or gender discrimination involving a UofL student you must:
2. Provide the alleged victim with the following resource brochure
3. Immediately contact a Title IX Coordinator (lead coordinator or one of the three deputy coordinators):

• Brian D. Bigelow, JD, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, 2100 S. Floyd St., Student Activities Center – W301; (502) 852-5787
• Dr. Angela Taylor, Deputy Title IX Coordinator (for complaints against UofL students) and Assistant Dean of Students, 2100 S. Floyd St., Student Activities Center – W301; (502) 852-5787
• Mary Elizabeth Miles, Deputy Title IX Coordinator (for complaints against UofL employees) and Director of Employee Relations and Compliance, 1980 Arthur St., (502) 852-6688��
• Maj. Aaron Graham, Deputy Title IX Coordinator (for complaints against non-UofL-affiliated persons) University of Louisville Police Department, Floyd Street Parking Garage, Suite 100; 852-6111

As to the Clery Act, when you become aware of any of the crimes listed below occurring 1) on campus, 2) on public property within or immediately adjacent to campus, or 3) in or on non-campus property that the University owns or controls:

1. Call University Police at 911 if it is an actual emergency or involves an imminent threat to life or property. (These reports are not anonymous and must include who, what, where and how the incident occurred.)
2. Call University Police at 502-852-6111 or complete and submit the Anonymous Reporting Form, if it is not an actual emergency or does not involve an imminent threat to life or property.

• Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter: The willful killing of one human being by another
• Negligent Manslaughter: The killing of another person through gross negligence.
• Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
• Aggravated Assault: An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. (It is not necessary that injury result from an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used which could and probably would result in serious personal injury if the crime were successfully completed.)
• Burglary: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.
• Motor Vehicle Theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. (Classify as motor vehicle theft all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned, including joyriding.)
• Arson: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.
• Arrests for Weapon Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances dealing with weapon offenses, regulatory in nature, such as: manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; aliens possessing deadly weapons; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.
• Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations: Violations of State and local laws relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs. The relevant substances include: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (Demerol, methadone); and dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbiturates, Benzedrine).
• Arrests for Liquor Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned. (Drunkenness & driving under the influence are not included in this definition.)��
• Disciplinary Referrals for Weapon Law Violations
• Disciplinary Referrals for Drug Abuse Violations
• Disciplinary Referrals for Liquor Law Violations
• Hate Crimes
• Sex Offenses (Reporting sex offenses to a Title IX Coordinator satisfies the Clery Act reporting requirements)
• Forcible: Any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly or against that person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent.
• Incest: Nonforcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
• Statutory Rape: Nonforcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent (age 16 in Kentucky).����

Obligation to report suspected abuse or neglect of a minor child or abuse of a spouse

In addition, Kentucky law requires that any person who suspects that a minor child (under 18) is the victim of abuse or neglect must immediately report the suspected abuse or neglect to a local law enforcement agency or other agency authorized by statute. KRS 620.030. The UofL Police Department (852-6111) constitutes a local law enforcement agency for purposes of Kentucky’s mandatory reporting law for child abuse and neglect. Failure to report suspected abuse may result in criminal charges and/or disciplinary action.��

Kentucky law also requires that any person who suspects that a person is a victim of spousal abuse must also immediately report this information to the appropriate agency. KRS 209A.030. The University Police Department can be reached at 852-6111 for purposes of such reports.��

Non-discrimination obligations regarding student pregnancy

Discrimination based on pregnancy (including failure to reasonably accommodate a student’s pregnancy and/or complications related thereto and any related medical care) is a form of sex-based discrimination, which Title IX prohibits.��

While students desiring accommodations necessitated by pregnancy are encouraged to bring their needs to the attention of their instructors as promptly as circumstances permit, students or faculty who have questions or concerns in this regard may contact the office of the Title IX Coordinator (502-852-5787) for assistance.�� In some instances, the Coordinator, aided by staff of the office of the Dean of Students (502-852-5787), is able to facilitate resolutions that balance UofL’s obligation to reasonably accommodate student pregnancy while preserving the academic integrity of the courses and academic programs in question.

Non-Retaliation/Non-Retribution Policy��

The�� �� is�� to�� encourage�� and�� enable�� good-faith�� reports�� by�� University employees of observed or suspected misconduct or noncompliance with law or with University policies and procedures without fear of retaliation or retribution. ��

John Elliott, said two policies are currently under review in his department – a lactation policy and a telecommuting policy. ��

Salaries are now posted on the HR website and will be updated quarterly. The tuition policy was changed by state legislators recently, but UofL will continue to adhere to the old reciprocity policy through the spring semester with an extension to be determined. UofL will also move from a smoke-free campus to a tobacco-free campus.

There were a few questions about compensation policies. Elliott said the compensation process is dated, but HR is working to implement a more modern system.

“Part of the problem is we grew too fast to keep up and now we lack consistency,” he said. ��

A senator went on record to state that it is “unacceptable” that employees have not received raises in three years, while the board is approving pay raises for certain administrators, per Chair John Smith’s report below. Elliott said the goal is to get to a point where employees receive merit raises every year.

Bob Knaster provided an overview of the recent transition from university print and mail services to Canon. The changes include new MFDs in libraries, labs and public spaces; new print and mail center in the SAC; upgraded HSC copy center in the C Building; upgraded HSC mail mailroom; optimized “print anywhere” network of MFDs in offices; and service and supplies for department-owned print devices.

Managed print has moved to a cost-per-impression utility, versus monthly. The updates are also now able to provide data for each department to better help manage their print spend. Knaster said the transition to Canon is expected to yield about $770,000 total savings.

There have been some growing pains. New hire employees have been able to gain access to printing only to lose that access the next day, for example. Knaster said employees must be found with a search tool versus just being added. Added employees are deleted when the system cycles. Also, when printing is paid for by the department, color can be turned off. However, when color printing is turned off, the employee cannot print in color using their personal funds.

Some departments have also reported no access to print billing information to monitor. Knaster said this issue will be resolved quickly, as Canon can’t get paid until it is fixed.

One senator noted that, despite some minor hiccups in the transition period, the overall transition has been very positive and efficient for his department.

Gary Lewis, who was named police chief in July, said his first observation on campus is that the university has grown faster than the safety and security forces and technologies have.

Throughout all campuses, UofL has 39 officers and 30 security officers. He would like to triple that.

Aside from being short on resources, Lewis noted that another major challenge is that we have four campuses (the police department counts HSC and dental separately) with different security needs. Still, Lewis said that there was a reduction in crime in 2017-18.

John Smith provided the chair’s report, including a board of trustees meeting in October in which he made a statement about the approval of pay increases for top-level administrators during reorganizations. The raises were part of an “agenda by consent,” which means the entire agenda is voted on in a single motion. Other parts of the agenda he believed to be positive, such as a restructuring of debt on residence halls that will save UofL $700,000 and declaring a building that has been vacant for years and in need of serious repairs as “surplus.” Smith also thanked HR for rescinding two new policies that were set to go into effect on Jan. 1 – a 30-day wait period for benefits to begin for new employees and the elimination of two-employee benefits package for new employees.

A senator asked Smith how much the inauguration for President Neeli Bendapudi cost. The answer is about $80,000, which is “less than half of a typical inauguration,” according to Smith. The average cost of presidential inaugurations are about $150,000.

Chris Tillquist provided the Faculty Senate report, which is .��

Rhonda Gilliland provided the , noting no additional expenditures outside of standard operating costs for the month.��

Marian Vasser provided the vice chair report, introducing a new system in which senators can submit comments and questions anonymously during Staff Senate meetings. The program is called Mentimeter.

She added that a Physical Plant work group has been formed to address the unique needs of that department, including off hours.

Wyatt Harris provided an update on the Student Government Association, which is currently working on its 2025 plan. Priorities are retention, student services and facilities. The SGA is also working with Athletics to reduce fees. Athletics fees were reduced by half last year and the SGA is hoping to eliminate them entirely this year.

The next Staff Senate meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10.