The following statement can be attributed to CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester:
“I thank Cozen O'Connor's Institutional Response Group for its methodical, inclusive and comprehensive assessment of the California State University's implementation of Title IX and other anti-discrimination programs across our 23 universities and at the Chancellor's Office.
I also thank the many CSU employees who supported Cozen's work on our university campuses and at the system office.
But most important, I offer my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the many CSU students, faculty and staff who – courageously and, undoubtedly, sometimes painfully – provided their input to help guide this critically important work.
As is often the case with honest, frank and unflinching self-reflection, some of the findings were uncomfortable and difficult to hear. Many of the report's recommendations are challenging and complex, influenced by a multitude of interconnected factors, including deep-rooted and underlying societal issues.
It is clear: This work will take time. It will take significant resources. And it will require the Chancellor's Office to reconsider its role in terms of its oversight and support of our universities in this regard. I'll provide just one example on this point. It is evident that allegations made against campus executive leadership must be referred to the Chancellor's Office.
While the work will indeed be difficult, it also presents a unique and invaluable opportunity to strengthen our culture of compliance and our culture of care as we strive to create and sustain safe, welcoming and inclusive environments across the CSU, where students, faculty and staff can thrive personally, professionally and intellectually, free from discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct.
I state this in the strongest and most unequivocal terms: The CSU is committed to this work. The systemwide and university recommendations outlined in the full report to be published in the coming weeks will provide a vital and necessary path forward, and they will hold us accountable to our commitment. But make no mistake, to bring about meaningful, authentic and sustainable change, the entire Cal State community – trustees, Chancellor's Office and university leadership, Title IX and DHR professionals, faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and supporters – must walk this path together.
We will not squander this opportunity. We will get this right. The CSU's mission and core values demand it."
CSU Title IX website
CSU Systemwide Assessment by Cozen O'Connor website
About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, nearly 460,000 students, and 56,000 faculty and staff. Nearly 40 percent of the CSU's undergraduate students transfer from California Community Colleges. The CSU was created in 1960 with a mission of providing high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards nearly 130,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 4 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.