Over six months after Yale College Dean Marvin Chun announced the creation of the Committee on Social Life and Community Values to address concerns about Yale’s social climate, the committee met for the first time on Oct. 30 to discuss initiatives on improving student life at Yale College.
Comprised of campus administrators, the committee discussed how to incorporate student and staff feedback from a University spring survey about social life on campus. The spring survey followed Chun’s appointment of the SLCV committee and an announcement in a campuswide email last February that the Title IX Office will review “recent concerns brought forward alleging a hostile sexual environment” at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Chun said the committee will formulate initiatives to address concerns brought forth by the survey and the review. The tandem announcements were made two days after the News published an investigation detailing new allegations of sexual misconduct against the fraternity.
“[The committee] provides a forum for students, faculty, and Yale administrators to consult together towards ensuring that social life at Yale is as enriching and inclusive as possible,” Chun told the News.
Dean of Student Affairs Camille Lizarríbar, who is the chair of the SLCV committee, told the News that the Oct. 30 meeting focused on how to create events similar to Bulldog Bash, a collegewide party hosted by Chun in August. She added that to create a positive campus culture, the committee also hopes to increase support for student- and residential college–led events. However, Lizarríbar did not specify any suggestions the committee made to address “potential concerns about hostile sexual environment” outlined in Chun’s February email.
She added that committee meetings were confidential due to the sensitive nature of their discussions.
In his February email, Chun said that he specifically asked the committee to review and “ensure the adequacy” of the University’s processes for addressing concerns raised about student organizations such as DKE.
Members of the committee include Director of Office of Gender & Campus Culture Melanie Boyd, Director of Public Safety & Chief of Police Ronnell Higgins and University Title IX Coordinator Stephanie Spangler. The SLCV committee will work with its adjoining student advisory committee.
Lizarríbar said that she chose to create the adjoining committee to have a “broader representation” of students as opposed to inviting just one or two Yalies to join the SLCV committee.
“The committees basically work in tandem, and also inform each other’s work,” Lizarríbar told the News. “It has been a great way so far to increase student input and voices in these matters.”
The student advisory committee currently consists of 18 members and will be joined by four more members from the class of 2022. It will have its first meeting on Nov. 14 and will then inform the SLCV committee about its discussion.
Title IX was passed in 1972.
Jever Mariwala | jever.mariwala@yale.edu .