By Zoe Finholm//
Hood College is working to adapt to the changes made to Title IX. There are now new protocols to prevent discrimination in schools that give more protection to the accused.
Title IX is part of the Education Amendments of 1972 and protects students, faculty and staff from discrimination based on sex in schools and activities that receive federal funding. On Aug. 14, the Department of Education put new regulations into place including updated definitions, protocols and formalities. Title IX was updated to include the changes.
In an email sent on behalf of Executive Director of Human Resources and Title IX coordinator, Carol Wuenschel, “Hood College is committed to providing an educational and work environment in which all members of the campus community are able to participate without being subject to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity.”
To best understand the new protocols, Wuenschel defines the following terms:
Sexual Harassment– “It now must be severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it denies a person’s equal educational access. It includes sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking.”
Complainant– “Individual alleged to be the victim of conduct that could constitute sexual harassment.”
Respondent– “Individual who has been reported to allegedly be the perpetrator of conduct that could constitute sexual harassment.”
Hearing panels– “Teams of professions Hood College staff trained on Title IXand who make findings of responsibility.”
Hearing board chair–“Grand River Solutions attorney.”
Vice president– “Member of Hood College Senior Team who provides the sanctions to the Hearing Panel for findings of responsibility.”
Appeals Official– “Member of Hood College senior team who serves at the Vice President level.”
Wuenschel says there are “are many ways in which the Title IX updates are impacting colleges and universities. We have all had to update policies and procedures to incorporate the revisions.”
Wuenschel says the major changes include “notice must be given to Title IX coordinator, it must occur in a school’s education program or activity in the U.S. over which the institution exercises substantial control over both the respondent and the context in which the sexual harassment occurred, institutions must provide accessible reporting to the Title IX Coordinator, parties must be referred to as complainant and respondent, and an informal resolution may be offered as long as both parties give voluntary, informed, written consent to attempt an informal resolution.”
Before the updates were put in place, the process could take much longer, faculty members were not protected under Title IX, there was a much broader definition for the term “sexual harassment,” and there were less resources available to parties.
As Title IX coordinator, Wuenschel “collaborates with various committees and departments to provide education and training to help prevent incidents of discrimination. The Title IX coordinator follows the law to provide supportive measure to both complainants and respondents, to stop alleged sexual harassment, and to prevent recurrence of the sexual harassment behavior.”
SGA president and R.A. Lily Bean says that she is a mandatory reporter and she is responsible for “reporting anything that can be dangerous” to the Title IX coordinator.
There are a variety of resources available for students that are victims of sexual harassment. On campus, Rev. Beth O’Malley, McHenry dean of the Chapel; Jennie Bowker, head athletic trainer; Thomas Chatfield, associate athletic trainer; and Alexandra Martellaro, assistant athletic trainer, are confidential resources. Kate Gmuer, director of Accessibility Services; Carley Shannon, head field hockey coach; Jolene Sanders, ombudsperson and associate professor of sociology are mandatory reporters. Off campus, there are Frederick Hospital, Heartly House, Frederick City Police and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
Training is offered for students and staff members to learn more about Title IX and sexual harassment. Wuenschel said: “Annual training is offered on Valentine’s Day. This year we had a guest presenter coupled with the SafeCollege’s training.”
Wuenschel said training information from the Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) was sent on Aug. 24, and more webinars from OCR will be shared in the next couple of weeks. The annual training by SafeColleges [for faculty] and information that is provided by the Title IX coordinator in email messages.
Wuenschel said that students, faculty and staff need to “continue to learn” about the Title IX updates to best help victims of sexual harassment.
Bean urges students “to be resources for each other” if there is any incident on campus.
To learn more about the Title IX updates and how Hood is responding, see the emails from Wuenschel or contact her at wuenschel@hood.edu.
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