UT given report on sex crime policies

Panel gives university its recommendations

NASHVILLE - Nearly a year after settling a $2.48 million lawsuit that brought intense national scrutiny to sexual assaults at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, campus officials on Saturday released a long-promised special review of its sexual assault policies.

The 28-page report, written by a committee of four independent experts hired by UT President Joe DiPietro, outlines concerns and recommendations drawn from interviews with leaders and students across the college system.

DiPietro said he would move forward with the experts’ recommendation to hire a statewide coordinator for policies related to Title IX, the federal law that guides campuses on sexual discrimination and violence responses. He said he hoped to have that position filled by the end of the year.

Among the independent commission’s four other “major recommendations:”

Adding additional Title IX staff and resources

Updates and modifications to policy and procedures Enhancing supports for students Additional education, prevention and training efforts

DiPietro said it was too early to say how the system would respond . He and his staff received the report Thursday and were continuing to review it.

Knoxville Chancellor Beverly Davenport said the most pressing challenges facing UT are not just financial.

“One of the most challenging things is culture,” Davenport said. “We can get our policies and practices in order ... but changing the culture in which these kinds of practices happen — that’s a cause for concern for all of us.”