Statement from U-M Board of Regents
The sexual misconduct behavior of the former university provost detailed in the WilmerHale report is abhorrent and unacceptable. We, as a university, failed on many levels, as this individual advanced through the administrative ranks. We thank those who came forward for their courage and we apologize to all survivors.
We appreciate President Schlissel and the commitment he and his leadership team have demonstrated to addressing the WilmerHale recommendations. Together with the university administration, we must now create a culture where reports will be heard and lead to appropriate action, without fear of retaliation and where sexual misconduct is not tolerated. Our goals include employing the expertise of professionals and those who study sexual misconduct, fixing our safety and integrity compliance framework, and restoring the trust of our community.
To accomplish these goals, the board will hire independent experts to help support the president and university through this time of necessary change. That outside perspective will put the university in the best position to live up to the high standards our community expects and deserves. This will be a collaborative effort of the board working closely with the president and the administration, engaging with our community and focusing on policy, culture and people. As our president said in his message last week, our highest priority is to make our community safe for all.
We will make further announcements regarding our plans at our September meeting.