Welcome to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination at Sonoma State. OPHD is a prevention, response, and compliance office focusing on sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence, stalking, harassment and discrimination based on protected status, and retaliation. It is our commitment to the Seawolf community that we will work to provide an environment that is safe and equitable for all.
If you or others you know have experienced any of the acts mentioned above, please get in touch with us by submitting an online report using the link on our page or by emailing ophd@sonoma.edu. The campus and our surrounding community have additional resources to assist those experiencing stress and trauma.
Community Updates
Cozen O'Connor Report
To strengthen its systems of care and compliance, in 2022 and 2023 the CSU engaged Cozen O'Connor to conduct a systemwide assessment of its Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation programs. The report identifies core observations and recommendations for improvements at both the system and university levels. The CSU and Sonoma State University remain committed to making the meaningful and impactful changes needed to transform our Title IX and other anti-discrimination policies, procedures, infrastructure, culture and climate within the Chancellor's Office and our 23 universities.
SSU has assembled an implementation team with faculty, staff and student representatives to strengthen our community and help lead the process to enhance our programs and practices in addressing harassment and other concerning behaviors. This team will work with other groups on campus, including the President Advisory Councils, the Sexual Misconduct and Assault Resource Team, Faculty Senate, Staff Council and the Associated Students, to gather input and to enact meaningful change. We encourage you to continue to engage in the improvement process. If you have additional feedback, please feel free to contact an implementation team member or email ophd@sonoma.edu. The implementation team members are:
- Julie Vivas, Sr. Director for the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination and Title IX Officer (and DHR Administrator)
- Dr. Jerlena Griffin-Desta, Chief of Staff to the President, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Diversity
- Gerald Jones, Vice President, Student Affairs
- Erin Taylor, Director of Employee and Labor Relations
- Dr. Simone Aloisio, Interim Associate Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Success
- Dr. Lauren Morimoto, Department Chair and Professor, Kinesiology,
- Maricela Ibarra Aceves, Senior Credentials and Student Services Coordinator
- Cassandra Garcia, ASI President
We encourage the campus community to review the reports, which are available below:
- The CSU's Commitment to Change
- CSU Cozen Title IX Assessment
- Cozen Assessment Summary Report
- Sonoma State-specific report
Annual Report
The 2021-2022 OPHD Annual Report is now available for viewing. Any questions regarding the report should be sent to ophd@sonoma.edu
Notice of Non-Discrimination
See the Compliance page for the updated Notice of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender or Sex.
Relevant Links
CSU Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation (Superseded from CSU Executive Orders 1095, 1096, and 1097)
- The current systemwide policy explains student, employee, and third-party rights, defines prohibited conduct, and describes procedures for resolving complaints.