As chair of President Eric Kaler’s Initiative to Prevent Sexual Misconduct, I thank you for your editorial July 19 commending the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s new sexual health minor and calling for the U to do more.

The SPH also offers a course for under-graduates called Sexuality Matters that takes the positive approach to relationships you support. For the president’s initiative, we are recruiting work groups of faculty, staff and students to develop a comprehensive public health approach (multidisciplinary, community-wide) to address sexual misconduct.

The focus is prevention, health promotion and long-term culture change, complementing the many excellent services the University provides survivors of sexual misconduct. We owe the president a report in early October. It includes plans for engaging the entire University community in this effort.

John R. Finnegan, Professor and Dean of the School of Public Health

Editor’s Note: This letter has been edited slightly for grammar and style.