Recommendations for Texas A&M

Texas A&M on Monday outlined a series of steps the university will take toward sexual assault investigations. Among the recommendations:

• Texas A&M will streamline the process of reporting sexual misconduct, so that a complainant knows what will happen next and when. Complainants will work with a single case manager so they won’t have to repeat their story of trauma again and again to multiple staff members.

• A pre-determined range of sanctions now clearly shows what will happen in each violation, whether it’s a reprimand, probation, suspension or expulsion. Those sanctions will be tougher than they’ve sometimes been in the past.

• The dean of students, not a coach or an adviser, will decide which interim restrictions will be placed on a student who has been accused of sexual misconduct — including whether that student will be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities.

• The decision about whether a student will be allowed to take part in extracurricular activities will be made when the investigation ends, not when the student returns from a suspension.

• Counselors will be available at multiple points across campus, making them easier for students to find.

• Four more people will be hired to support the Title IX office: investigators, a deputy coordinator and a case manager.

• When a student is suspended, dismissed or expelled, a notation will be made on his or her transcript.