New Times has learned that Cal Poly has just concluded its investigation into the controversial "Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos" party hosted off campus on Nov. 16. According to a Dec. 11 press release from President Jeffrey Armstrong and Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey, no university polices were violated at the event, and the offensive nature of the party developed informally, not systematically. An excerpt from the press release is quoted below:

The University has concluded its review of the off-campus party that occurred on November 16, which was described to us in a formal complaint as an event that may have included culturally insensitive, sexist, and offensive behavior.

Interviews with people who attended the party indicate that the party was problematic, notably in its encouragement of the sexual objectification of women and being demeaning to Native Americans. The review found no evidence that party hosts systematically billed the party theme in offensive terms, but it appears some of the party planners did so in an informal way.

While we personally deplore this behavior, the University's review found no verifiable evidence that any campus policies were violated. In the course of the review and the ensuing campus dialogue, a number of students, faculty, and staff expressed concern that our community has much work to do around these issues. We fully agree.

Together, students, faculty, staff, and alumni, we can, and must, do better to create a campus climate that is open and welcoming to all. Each of us has responsibility for working toward this goal, and each of us needs to contribute to ensure that we genuinely improve our campus climate.