June 10, 2021

From the University of Michigan Board of Regents and President Mark Schlissel:

Our sympathy for all of Anderson’s victims is deep and unwavering, and we thank them for their bravery in coming forward. We condemn and apologize for the tragic misconduct of the late Dr. Robert Anderson, who left the University 17 years ago and died 13 years ago. We are committed to resolving their claims and to continuing the court-guided confidential mediation process.

In the nearly two decades since Anderson left campus, the university has adopted dozens of policies designed to protect student health and safety, including:

• Developing a misconduct policy in collaboration with more than 70 constituent groups (faculty, staff, students) on all three campuses.
• Implementing policy to prohibit sexual, romantic, amorous and/or dating relationships between teachers and learners.
• Requiring mandatory sexual misconduct training for all employees.
• Mandating additional scrutiny of personnel records as tenure and promotion decisions are considered as well as for major administrative appointees.
• Conducting criminal background checks for all new university employees, faculty, and staff.

We remain committed to continuous improvement in our policies and practices to promote student health and safety.