Chancellor’s Task Force

The Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence was created in April 2015 to bolster the University’s efforts in sexual violence prevention, education and advocacy services.

The task force is made up of dedicated students, faculty, staff, alumni and the executive director of Vera House. Along with the task force members, many peer educators, student organizations, staff and faculty members, and individual students are dedicated to this cause. We must all join with them to end sexual and relationship violence. It is all of our responsibility to ensure a safe campus environment.

Task Force Charge

  • To review the University’s policies, practices, programs and procedures for preventing and effectively responding to sexual and relationship violence;
  • To keep apprised of federal and state mandates and initiatives;
  • To develop evidence-based recommendations to craft a comprehensive, cohesive and effective prevention and education program that will serve as a national model;
  • To examine and identify new and more effective ways of using technology, social media and other means to better educate the University community about existing services, programs, support systems, enforcement efforts and adjudication results; and
  • Any other matter deemed by the task force to be of our community’s well-being as it relates to the issue of sexual and relationship violence.

Committees

The Chancellor’s Task Force for Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention began working with the Culture of Respect Campus Collective Project, a NASPA initiative in January 2020. After completing the CORE Evaluation Process the Chancellor Task Force divided into six working groups, following the Culture of Respect pillars:

  1. Survivor Support: Looking at medical and supportive services available to survivors or victims. What reporting policies are in place and how accessible resources are. 
  2. Clear Policies: Looking at policies, procedures and investigation protocols as well as what services are available for respondents.  
  3. Multitiered Education: Looking at trainings, prevention education and programming that is available on campus for students, staff and faculty. 
  4. Public Disclosure: Looking at communications to campus as well as data collection and what information is available. This pillar also looks into compliance with Clery, Title IX and other relevant legislature, such as Enough Is Enough. 
  5. Schoolwide Mobilization: Looking into support and collaboration from student organizations, peer education, the structure of the Chancellor’s Task Force and strategies to obtain student feedback. As well as looking into efforts to work with students’ parents and families, alumni and faculty and staff.
  6. Ongoing Assessment: Looking into evaluation or programs, policies and the sexual & relationship violence bi-annual campus survey. Reviewing the methodology being used and how data is utilized.

Task Force Members

The task force is composed of the following members for 2021-22:

  • Rob Hradsky, vice president for the Student Experience, co-chair
  • Diane Lyden Murphy, dean, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, co-chair
  • Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion
  • Tracy Balduzzi, associate director of graduate enrollment
  • Carrie Brown, director, Barnes Center at the Arch, Counseling
  • Jorge Castillo, director of LGBTQ Resource Center
  • Shelley Crawford, associate director of student support, Student Outreach and Support
  • Sheriah Dixon, dean of students
  • Rachel Evans, interim director, Barnes Center at the Arch, Health Promotion
  • Herman Frazier, senior deputy athletics director
  • Wei Gao, associate director of operations and outreach, Center for International Services
  • Ben Gansenberg, Interfraternity Council student representative
  • Andy Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer
  • Carla Guariglia, student, Stand With Survivors Syracuse University and Student Association representative
  • Oliver Haney, assistant director of student-athlete academic development
  • Carrie Ingersoll-Wood, director of Disability Cultural Center
  • Sheila Johnson-Willis, associate vice president and chief equal opportunity and Title IX officer for Faculty/Staff, Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services
  • Andrew London, associate dean, professor of sociology, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
  • Missy Mathis-Hanlon, director, Parent and Family Services
  • Antoine McKinney, facilities coordinator, Student Engagement
  • Eric Nestor, director of apartment and off-campus living, Student Living
  • Rebecca Ortiz, associate professor, advertising, S.l. Newhouse School of Public Communications
  • Meredith Patterson, assistant director for public health initiatives, Health Promotion
  • Abby Perer, associate general counsel
  • Pam Peter, director/Title IX coordinator for students
  • Amie Redmond, senior assistant dean of academic and student services, School of Education
  • Rev. Gail Riina, chaplain, Hendricks Chapel
  • Sarah Scalese, senior associate vice president of communications, Marketing & Communications
  • Jillian Scheer, assistant professor, Cobb-Jones professor of clinical psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Leslie Skeffington, online education and compliance specialist, Health Promotion
  • Craig Stone, associate vice president and chief, Campus Safety and Emergency Management
  • Ben Vasquez, alumni representative
  • Cory Wallack, associate vice president of student health and wellness
  • Julie Yang, Student Bar Association representative

Along with the task force members, there are dozens of additional students, faculty and staff members, and representatives from Vera House who are members of task force work groups.