Blue Ribbon Task Force on Gender-Based Violence

Blue Ribbon Task Force on Gender-Based Violence

SDSU President Adela de la Torre announced in January 2023 the formation of the Blue Ribbon Task Force. The task force group, forming in Spring 2023, is charged with assessing the problem of gender-based violence nationally within collegiate environments. Members are charged with identifying recommendations and other practices to support survivors at all levels, and to also recommend systems to address gender-based violence on college campuses. Members include students, staff, faculty, administrators and community members.

Purpose and Activities 

The group is charged with addressing the following:

• Reviewing current sexual harassment policies, procedures and training;
• Recommending strategies to improve the communication, transparency, and visibility of these policies, procedures, and training programs;
• Recommending opportunities to expand and improve the effectiveness of training and prevention efforts; and
• Considering how we can improve the way we care for our community members who are impacted by sexual harassment or gender-based violence.

Events and Other Activities

During the 2023-24 academic year, the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Gender-Based Violence will host a series of campus community meetings to listen and learn from students, faculty and staff about the problem of sexual assault and harassment at both SDSU and nationally within collegiate environments. The group will also continue meeting regularly and, with feedback from the university community, will develop and ultimately present recommendations to SDSU President Adela de la Torre to further foster national best practices to address gender-based violence. 

The planned meetings are as follows (and more information will be shared with students, faculty and staff in advance of sessions, including Zoom links and registration details): 

• Feb. 5, 2024: Faculty session to be held in-person from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Feb. 7, 2024: Staff session to be held in person from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Feb. 12, 2024: Student session to be held in person from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
• March 4, 2024: Faculty session to be held 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. Register to recieve the Zoom details.
• March 8, 2024: Student session to be held 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom. Register to recieve the Zoom details.
• March 13, 2024: Staff session to be held 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom. Register to recieve the Zoom details.
• April 10, 2024: All-university webinar to be held noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Join on Zoom.

If you have questions about any of the sessions, email [email protected], or you may submit comments via the online form. 

Who can serve as a volunteer member?

Desirable characteristics for members of the task force include the following:

• Understand the role of a trauma-informed practice in responding to specific needs of survivors and in supporting survivors. 
• Recognize that gender-based violence can impact anyone – of any gender, age, or position within an organization – while also attending to the unique conditions of members of our community who are LGBTQ and/or military-affiliated. 
• An understanding of power differentials, and recognition that gender-based violence and surrounding issues are structural, institutional, statewide, and national. 
• A commitment to identifying recommendations and solutions that seek to address gender-based violence, including prevention and bystander intervention/reporting. 

What are the responsibilities of members? 

Task force members are charged with: 

• Attending meetings and participating in discussions;
• Advising on data-gathering strategies, especially on campus;
• Helping to develop a database of best practices for preventing and addressing campus-based GBV;
• Reviewing current sexual-harassment and assault policies, procedures and training;
• Recommending strategies to improve the communication and transparency of these policies, procedures and training programs;
• Recommending opportunities to expand and improve the effectiveness of training and prevention efforts; and
• Considering how we can improve the way we care for our community members who are impacted by sexual harassment or gender-based violence.

Members will be required to attend in-person meetings (dates to be confirmed) in Spring 2023, an in-person meeting at the start of Fall 2023, and monthly meetings (both virtual and in-person) to be held throughout the 2023-24 academic year.

Task Force Members

Monica J. Casper, Ph.D. 
Chair of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Gender-Based Violence 
Special Assistant to the President on Gender-Based Violence
[email protected]