January 2008
The Office of Judicial Affairs extends the statute of limitations from six months to two years for all cases that would fall under the Alternative Review Process (ARP), which has not yet been implemented.
April 2010
The Office of Judicial Affairs approves the ARP as a two-year pilot program.
April 6, 2011
The Office of Civil Rights publishes the “Dear Colleague” letter requiring that universities change their procedures for cases involving sexual assault by lowering the burden of proof from beyond a reasonable doubt to a ‘preponderance of evidence’ (more likely than not). Additionally, the letter demands both parties have equal rights of appeal and the responding student’s right to face their accuser be removed.
April 12, 2011
Hennessey employs his authority as the President of the University to override the existing judicial affairs charter and ASSU Constitution, revising the ARP in accordance with the federal interpretation.
July 19, 2011
An article in the New York Post from a member of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) mocks Stanford’s definition of sexual assault and the ARP, bringing national scrutiny.
October 25, 2011
The Board of Judicial Affairs votes to extend ARP to winter quarter of 2012.
May 1, 2012
Elliot Wolf, the former president of the Duke student body, speaks at the meeting of the ASSU Undergraduate Senate, warning the representatives of the dangers of removing procedural protections from the judicial charter, particularly for procedures involving sexual assault.
May 1, 2012
After several long debates, the 13th Undergraduate Senate holds a series of straw-poll votes on different provisions of the ARP but fails to approve or deny the new ARP charter, leaving its legal status in limbo and passing the decision to approve or reject the ARP to the 14th Undergraduate Senate.
May 2, 2012
FIRE writes the Graduate Student Council, urging them to reject the ARP’s preponderance of evidence standard of proof.
May 8, 2012
The Board of Judicial Affairs votes unanimously to reinstate an assumed innocence clause into the ARP.
Summer 2012
A small working group consisting mainly of ASSU elected officials and representatives from the Office of Community Standards meets to discuss the format of student feedback sessions.
October 23 and 24, 2012
Office of Community Standards and ASSU Executive are scheduled to host two town halls designed to teach students about the ARP and gather their feedback.