Dear campus community,
Welcome back from your spring break! I want to share a few updates from the Office for Title IX and Equal Opportunity.
I’m delighted to report that we are fully staffed for the first time in nearly 18 months! Our newest staff member, Rawshan Fatima, PhD, joined last week.
Our Mission
SJSU is committed to providing a high quality educational and employment experience, free of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on any protected status. Protected statuses include: Sex, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, Race, Ethnicity, Color, Caste, Ancestry, Religion, Creed, Disability (physical or mental), Genetic Information, Medical Condition (as defined in the Nondiscrimination Policy), Age (over 40), Veteran Status, Marital Status, and Pregnancy and related conditions.
In addition, we also respond to reports of Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence or Stalking. Our aim is to stop the behavior, prevent its recurrence and remedy harm caused by this conduct.
The Office for Title IX and Equal Opportunity encourages reports (and requires reports from employees) when you experience or witness a potential violation of our Nondiscrimination Policy. Our response to these reports prioritizes the affected person’s autonomy: we offer a meeting to explore your options, which include support, remedial measures, and, if appropriate, accountability pathways including an investigation.
We are available by phone, in person, Zoom, email, or by your report through our website.
Our Annual Report
Our Annual Report for last academic year’s volume and type of reports we received and responded to is available to view. Our data can be compared with other campuses of the CSU using this interactive data dashboard.
Our Latest Program Review
We just received an exemplary program review from the CSU Civil Rights Office, finding that “[San José State University's] commitment to its Title IX and EO Office is consistent with systemwide best practices for organizational structure and support.“ The program reviewer reserved special praise for our deputy coordinator’s efforts, stating that our “intake and assessment process is impressive.” Kelsie Cleveland and the intake team’s “process should be mirrored across the CSU system.”
Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the reviewers during their two-day site visit in November, and everyone on campus who has incorporated awareness of when and how to report a potential violation of the Nondiscrimination Policy into your everyday interactions.
The Upcoming Change in Our Name and Division
The university’s new division of People and Culture will include our office. The reason for the change is to consolidate many of our common goals of advancing innovative approaches to service delivery, technology, and people-centered practices into a single unit. This office’s function, location, structure, and responsiveness will not change. But our name will. The CSU wants all of the campuses to use the same name, so as of July 1, 2026, we will be known as The Office for Civil Rights and Title IX.
Please never hesitate to get in touch with questions, concerns, or reports, regardless of whether you think we may already be aware of something. Only by working together can we continue to strive for our goal of maintaining an engaged, excellent, and caring environment for everyone.
