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Dear Students and Colleagues,

I have received the report from Mountain States Employers Council resulting fromits review that we commissioned of 1) the current nature of the environment in theSchool of Theatre Arts and Dance, and 2) how UNC handled past complaints againstformer Professor Vance Fulkerson.

We were all deeply troubled, not only by the alleged conduct of Mr. Fulkerson

which led to his arrest, but also by the resulting questions concerning UNC as acommunity, some going back almost twenty years, which were raised in press reportsfollowing the arrest. We owed it to our students and their parents, our facultyand staff, and the citizens of Colorado to take a serious look at ourselves inlight of those allegations. The best way to do this was to call in a neutral andexperienced third party, the Mountain States Employers Council, Inc.

The report from Mountain States is straightforward. Although the report confirmsthat, contrary to some press reports, UNC did not ignore specific complaints overthe years, the report does identify areas for improvement in policies, practicesand climate. You can view the report in Ursa (http://ursa.unco.edu) on theEmployee or Student tab. While the report details are specific to one school, manyissues it raises should be addressed campus-wide.

At the beginning of this process we initiated several actions to evaluate ourpolicies and culture. This report has shed light on several other appropriateactions. In sum, we are moving forward by acting on the following items:

1. Complaint reporting, tracking and follow-up procedures

The Dean of Students, Provost, General Counsel, Human Resources Director andothers, as appropriate, will clarify UNC's procedures for documenting reports andfor communicating with parties involved when there is an investigation andresolution of an incident.

2. Review of guidelines for UNC faculty offering private (not part of the

university curriculum) lessons to UNC students

In consultation with the Provost, academic deans, faculty and others asappropriate, the university will clarify its position on private lessons andexternal employment.

3. Review of sexual harassment policies

A Faculty Senate-led group of faculty, staff and students is reviewing relevantuniversity policies and will be recommending changes to the Board Policy Manual,which will clarify our policies and procedures around sexual harassment.

4. Professional conduct standards addressing appropriate faculty-student

interactions

The College of Performing and Visual Arts has convened a task force to addressmultiple ethical issues related to the arts in higher education, which willinclude developing standards of professional conduct that are specific to field ofstudy and augment UNC's defined University Values. The Provost will work withother faculty and academic deans to identify additional fields of study where suchstandards of professional conduct are to be developed.

5. Shared understanding of university policies and procedures related to issuesraised in the report

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We are evaluating UNC's new employee orientation process to include clear, moredirect, information about these issues. The College of Performing and Visual Artsis using its mentor/protg program, which pairs pre-tenure professors withexperienced faculty members, to address topics such as appropriate faculty-studentinteractions. Other training and mentorship programs will be similarly updated.Our orientation and support programs for students are under continuous review aswell.

6. Long-range planning focus on campus climate

Building a respectful and inclusive teaching and learning community is a keycomponent of UNC's Academic Plan, and we will continue to focus on campusenvironment as we develop a University Plan. My strategy sessions with campusgovernance and work groups this semester include conversations about how to buildon and connect the planning efforts of groups such as the Equity and DiversityCouncil and the Work Environment Task Force.

As I said in the State of the University Address, each test of our institutionalcharacter is an opportunity to strengthen our community. We know that rules andlaws alone do not build community. The strength of our campus community lies in

the power of 15,000-plus individual students, faculty and staff members who standup for what and who we are at the University of Northern Colorado. We mustcontinue to ask ourselves how it feels to be part of our community, to talk toeach other about how we want to be treated, and to be willing to say, "That's notwho we are," when someone does not uphold our university values. Even as we putthis painful and humbling event behind us, we will remain committed to the processof working together to be a welcoming, inclusive and respectful universitycommunity.

Sincerely,

Kay Norton