Nearly one week after the Sept. 28 announcement that President R. Gerald Turner would create a Sexual Misconduct Policies and Procedures Task Force, he released the names of its 20 members, which includes students, faculty, staff, and a member of the District Attorney’s office.
In the wake of the arrests of two SMU students for sexual assault, President Turner established this task force to determine if the University Conduct Review board is efficient enough to handle allegations of student sexual misconduct.
Turner said that through the task force, “we aim to be proactive in determining what may need to be adjusted and to be responsive to those who are questioning the conduct review system at colleges and universities nationwide, including SMU.”
Task force members include Kelly Compton, executive director of the Hoglund Foundation and SMU trustee, Karen Click, director of the SMU Women’s Center, Jeanne Tower Cox, SMU trustee and parent, Monique Holland, SMU senior associate director of Athletics, Rick Shafer, SMU chief of police and Anita Ingram, SMU associate vice president and chief risk officer.
Students on the task force will include Monika Korra, SMU student, Rachany Thi Son, SMU law student and Alex Mace, president of the SMU student body.
The task force will include a representative from the Dallas County district attorney’s office, Ellyce Lindbery, the chief prosecutor of grand jury/intake for the city.
Kelly Compton, a SMU trustee and chair of the board’s Student Affairs Committee, will be the chair of the task force. Lori White, who was previously co-chair with Compton, will now just be a member of the force in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
“The task force has an impressive membership of leaders who will engage in careful ant thoughtful deliberations. We are grateful for the time they are willing to commit to this process. By working together, I am confident we will reach a productive outcome,” Compton said in a statement.
Monika Korra was the first SMU student in the past 25 years whose case went to trial and the suspects were successfully prosecuted.
The Task Force will begin meeting in October with any changes made forwarded directly to President Turner.
The full report is expected to be completed on or before March 1, 2013.