This year's edition of the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook contains revisions to the special examiner's process and other minor additions to various sections of the handbook.

Last Friday, Dean of Students Jamele Adams released the changes in an email to the Brandeis community.

The special examiner's process, which is the University's procedure to address allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment, was first included in the 2012 to 2013 iteration of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook.

Among the changes to the process in the 2013 to 2014 handbook is a new panel to be composed of three administrators and/or faculty members who will receive the special examiner's report and make a recommendation about the outcome of a case. The recommendation will then be sent to a senior student affairs officer or designee for a final decision. Previously, the dean of student life would make a final decision without any outside recommendations.

Other changes to the special examiner's process include the fact that "the University Appeals Board composition will include only the faculty members of that pool, not student members" and "an Advisor may not also serve as a witness," as stated in Adams' email.

-Andrew Wingens