The 
University 
of 
Michigan 

announced a finalized sexual and 
gender-based misconduct policy on 
Thursday that includes more concrete 
definitions of misconduct, clarifies 
ways to report misconduct and out-
lines procedures for addressing sexual 
and gender-based misconduct allega-
tions. This policy replaces the interim 
umbrella policy, Standard Practice 
Guide and other related policies that 
were instituted in August 2020.

The new policy will take effect on 

all three U-M campuses and Michigan 
Medicine on Oct. 1.

According to Regent Chair Jordan 

Acker (D), the new policy has been in 
the works since he was elected to the 

Board of Regents in 2018. Acker said 
the policy would aid in the University’s 
efforts to support victims of miscon-
duct and prevent misconduct from 
occurring in the first place. 

“President Schlissel and the Board 

of Regents have been focused on mak-
ing sure we improve our policies and 
procedures around sexual misconduct 
for as long as I’ve been on the Board,” 
Acker said. “This new policy and 
accompanying procedures will help 
us prevent sexual misconduct, but also 
protect survivors from unnecessary 
trauma. Although we have more work 
to do, this is a significant step forward 
and I want to commend all in the com-
munity who have worked to make this 
change happen.” 

The University has grappled with 

numerous instances of sexual mis-
conduct in recent years, including 
the cases of late U-M athletic doctor 

Robert Anderson and former Provost 
Martin Philbert. Allegations of sexual 
misconduct against professors in the 
Computer Science and Engineering 
department have also recently sur-
faced, prompting further investigation 
into the department’s climate and cul-
ture.

University President Mark Schlis-

sel said in a press release that the new 
policy reflects the University’s com-
mitment to preventing sexual miscon-
duct and supporting victims. The new 
policy is a result of feedback obtained 
from the University community, 
Schlissel said. 

“The Board of Regents, the uni-

versity’s leadership team and I 
remain sharply focused on continu-
ally improving the ways in which we 
prevent prohibited conduct, support 
survivors in our community, and 
promptly investigate reports of mis-

conduct,” Schlissel said. “This policy 
reflects important feedback from our 
entire community, including students, 
faculty, staff and alumni.”

The new policy also refers spe-

cifically to the Equity, Civil Rights and 
Title IX Office that was announced 
in July and replaced the controversial 
Office for Institutional Equity. ECRT 
handles the same allegations and cases 
that OIE did while providing more 
“support and prevention” measures, 
according to Schlissel. 

Tamiko Strickman, the former OIE 

director, currently serves as the execu-
tive director of the ECRT. Strickman 
has faced scrutiny over the past years 
for two lawsuits that were filed against 
her and officials at the University of 
Nebraska-Lincoln for mishandling of 
sex discrimination and misconduct 
cases.

In an interview with The Daily ear-

lier this month, Schlissel said he hopes 
the ECRT would be able to provide 
better support for the University com-
munity. 

“We took the Office of Institutional 

Equity apart and rebuilt a new organi-
zation (ECRT), covering the functions 
of the old OIE but in a different way — 
one that’s designed to provide better 
support, more outreach, better educa-
tion and integrate prevention efforts 
along with our other investigatory 
efforts,” Schlissel said. 

Schlissel said the new policy, which 

was originally planned to be imple-
mented by July 2021, was delayed 
because of new sexual misconduct 
federal guidance from the Biden 
administration.

The policy creates two distinct cat-

egories for individuals with reporting 
obligations, giving them slightly differ-
ent responsibilities.

The first category is individuals 

who have the ability to perform “cor-
rective action,” including regents, 
executive officers, head coaches, 
executive officers, chancellors and 
deans. Individuals in this category are 
required to report any and all informa-
tion they receive about prohibited con-
duct, regardless of how or when they 
received it. 

The second category includes assis-

tant and associate deans, administra-
tors, supervisors and faculty members 
who accompany students on Univer-
sity-related study abroad programs. 
Individuals who fall into this category 
are required to report instances of mis-
conduct if they became aware of the 
misconduct as part of their work for 
the University.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 — 3

Recently, I’ve learned to use two 

phrases. I can’t, and I won’t. 

“I can’t” means I am unable to 

any longer. “I won’t” means I choose 
to protect myself from reaching this 
point again.

So now, hear me out: I can’t, and I 

won’t, accept burnout anymore. 

For one week starting today, I am 

taking a break from The Michigan 
Daily. I’ll be stepping back from the 
entirety of my job’s responsibilities, 
deleting all of my social media and 
staying away from any contact related 
to The Daily. 

This is not a decision I make 

lightly. I wouldn’t be doing this unless 
absolutely necessary, because since 
my first day here I’ve cared about The 
Daily more than for myself. 

But after almost going to the 

hospital when leaving The Daily’s 
office alone late Monday night, I refuse 
to keep allowing severe panic attacks 
as part of my day-to-day routine. I 
refuse to keep losing more hair, weight 
and blood and as nearly as much sleep. 

Yesterday, I told a friend my 

work at The Daily is ever-so-rapidly 
destroying my physical, mental and 
emotional health, not to mention 
my interpersonal and intrapersonal 
relationships or my dedication to my 
academics. He replied this destroying 
can lead to a “violent and deeply 
entrenched burnout.”

I was comforted when he said this, 

because I now finally have language 
for what has been happening to me. 
Violence. 

You may scoff at that and call 

me dramatic, call me weak. But I’ve 
disparaged myself more times than 
you ever will.

Or perhaps you’ll share this and 

call me inspirational, call me brave. 

It won’t change the fact that my job is 
unsustainable and no longer possible 
in its current form.

At the end of the day every day, 

what I really am is tired. So tired.

I take home $150 a month to work 

roughly 70 hours a week, apparently 
an outlier even among other college 
newspaper editor-in-chiefs. On top of 
being a part-time student, a daughter, 
sister, partner, roommate and friend. 
Lately, the kind of workload I’ve 
shouldered dozens of dozens of times 
before makes me crack. I’ve deemed 
myself lazy, soft, less capable than all 
of the leaders who’ve come before. My 
best friend reminds me I’m doing this 
during an unprecedented pandemic. 
I counter that The Daily was around 
during the 1918 Spanish flu. 

But it’s not just the pandemic that’s 

exacerbated the difficulties of my role. 
It’s The Daily’s 130-year-old problems 
with racism, sexism, classism and 
ableism that affect me intimately and 

near constantly. It’s running “the only 
daily newspaper in the county” and 
being prepared to be called into duty at 
any moment in case of breaking news 
for almost two school years now with 
no days off, not even on the University 
of Michigan’s “well-being break.” It’s 
not ever escaping the uncomfortable 
reality, no matter how much I want to, 
that I’m presumably the first woman 
of color to lead this organization. It’s 
my desperation to prove myself despite 
my achievements and qualifications 
after hearing some say there have been 
too many women editor-in-chiefs 
and after being told multiple times to 
my face I am where I am because of 
“diversity.” 

I know The Daily’s problems, and 

it’s not that I haven’t tried to fix them. 
In fact, I’ve done nothing but try. I ran 
for this position in hopes of making 
The Daily more accessible; those who 
work here know that’s essentially 
my buzzword. I’ve delegated all the 

responsibility possible that I can 
think 
of 
without 
overwhelming 

someone else; created new structures, 
processes and positions to make sure 
my adjustments last. A week and a 
half ago, I initiated a conversation 
on burnout among editors, and 
we’ve 
been 
practicing 
setting 

boundaries. I’ve been heartened to 
see improvement, slow but steady. 
But institutional and cultural change 
takes time, and my health can’t wait 
any longer. Honestly, in our heavily 
decentralized organization of 450 
people at its peak, assuming the lion’s 
share of this burden only makes it 
worse, because I hurt when I see The 
Daily hurt someone else.

I usually doubt my every decision, 

but I’m confident in taking this step 
back. Because as I’m writing this, for 
the first time in 48 hours, I’m no longer 
worried about falling into a panic attack 
at any moment. For the first time in 
several days, I finally feel at peace.

I was most hesitant to write this 

because I truly don’t want to scare 
others from joining or remaining at 
The Daily. Because despite it all, at this 
very moment, I can sincerely say that I 
love and care deeply about this place. 

More than any other organization, 

The Daily has changed the trajectory 
of my life and shapes who I am and 
want to be. It gives me identity and 
purpose, pride and joy, resonance 
and perspective, community and 
solidarity and memories and lifelong 
friends. Even on my toughest days, I’m 
honored to run a platform that houses 
stories that may otherwise not have a 
prominently public space.

And that’s why quitting The Daily 

is the last thing I’ll do. Because for 
now, and even now, this place is worth 
staying for. 

So I will be back, and when I am, 

I won’t know what’s next. But I will 
be more able to work with my staff to 
reimagine a better way. 

ADMINISTRATION
University finalizes new sexual misconduct policy

Updated guidelines clarify reporting procedures, outline process for handling allegations

GEORGE WEYKAMP & 

DOMINIC COLETTI

Daily Staff Reporters

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

From the Editor: I’m taking a break, and here’s why

CLAIRE HAO
Editor-in-Chief

The Michigan Daily’s Editor-in-Chief took a step back from her duties from Sept. 23 to 30

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FRESH GROCERIES

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Product information @ 734-332-3355

BUILDING A SAFE AND RESPECTFUL COMMUNITY

The University of Michigan is continually striving 

to create an environment of mutual respect and 

accountability, where everyone feels safe to report 

misconduct and supported throughout the process. 

Our latest efforts to address these issues include:

• A new Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office 

• A major culture change initiative 

• A Title IX advisory committee 

• New policies and updated procedures

SUPPORT
& REPORT 
 

LEARN MORE ABOUT U-M’S EFFORTS

TO IMPROVE OUR CULTURE:

sexualmisconduct.umich.edu

