UC Policy Changes
On Oct 19 2015, members of the Astronomy faculty sent a letter to Vice Provost Broughton and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Steele proposing a number of changes as to how the campus can prosecute sexual harassment cases. On Oct 22 2015, this letter was also communicated to Academic Senate Chair Hermalin and Vice Chair Powell. The letter is available here
University ("campus") level policies have since been revised. Please see the Vice Provost’s website for Faculty Conduct. For specific procedures pertaining to sexual harassment cases and Senate faculty, see this document in addition to these details about the new Peer Review Committee system. The revised policies emphasize continuous communication between the University and complainants and respondents; opportunities for complainants and respondents to respond to case outcomes; the requirement that the Vice Provost for Faculty (VPF) consult a Peer Review Committee of Senate faculty before recommending sanctions; and the wide variety of "Early Resolution" recommendations available to the VPF, including, but not limited to, censure of faculty, prohibition from teaching, monetary fines, demotion, or resignation.
Responses to the University’s Title IX Investigation
The following letters were written in October 2015 by the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department community in response to the University’s Title IX investigation of Geoff Marcy: