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Editor’s Note: This article contains references to sexual assault.

Syracuse University divided its Title IX office into two sections – a Student Title IX team and a Faculty/Staff Title IX Team – at the start of the fall semester.

Prior to the changes announced at the end of the summer, alleged violations of university policy by students and by faculty and staff were handled in the same office. Under the new structure, complaints against faculty and staff will be handled by the faculty team and complaints against students by the student team.

Along with the split, both the Department of Public Safety and Title IX now reside in the Division of Student Experience under Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer, in an effort to enhance collaboration, a university press release read.

The changes are aimed at achieving timely investigations and complaint resolutions, said Robert Hradsky, vice president and dean of students, in an email to The Daily Orange. The creation of a separate student team will aid in the office’s ability to address complaints of sexual and relationship violence more promptly, he added.

Student leaders on the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence and members of Stand With Survivors SU helped to inform the decision to reconfigure the Title IX office, Hradsky wrote. The new system will help independently address student, faculty and staff concerns as well as bolster resources for the student team, he continued.

Kayla Turner, the president of SWSSU, said SWSSU members on the task force asked questions and started discussions about changing the structure of power dynamics in the handling of Title IX cases when the changes were proposed over the summer.

“I think it’s very important that that distinction was made and that there are two separate offices for (student and faculty/staff complaints) now,” Turner said. “Because when you have a student and faculty incident, there’s a lot more nuance and a lot more power dynamics than, say, (an incident with a) student and a student. They can be handled in context to what those cases entail.”

Nicole Blidy, the prevention educator and campus advocate at Vera House, also said the separation of the two offices helps address the roles power dynamics, sexism and misogyny play in the handling of Title IX cases.

“In some situations, people inherently have more power and are abusing that in a way to harm other people,” she said. “Specifically with student on student (complaints), there is obviously this element of having power and control over someone else, but I think other factors come into play, like sexism.”

Blidy said it’s important for people who work with survivors to think critically about how power and control impact survivors’ stories.

“Obviously, I recognize that the Title IX office specifically is an office that is unbiased. But at the same time, being unbiased doesn’t mean that you ignore power dynamics, either,” she said.

As federal Title IX policy changes, Blidy said, it will be important for SU’s office to engage with students of different groups to ensure they know the regulations that protect them and feel safe using available resources.

In June, the federal government released proposed changes to Title IX policy. At SU, Turner said SWSSU plans to hold teaching sessions and commentary workshops with staff from the Title IX office to educate students on the proposals during the Biden Administration’s 60-day period of public comment spanning from July 12 to Sept. 12.

“The main intention (is to) inform the students about what Title IX is and also the role it is going to play on our campus,” Turner said. “And also allowing students the space and an avenue to have a voice about commentary on the Title IX survey as well.”

Hradsky said the Title IX office will be closely examining its procedures and working to find ways to enhance operations throughout the beginning of the semester. Both the Student Title IX Team and the Faculty/Staff Title IX team will continue to use trauma-informed approaches and aim for tailored support and timely resolutions, he continued.

Turner emphasized SWSSU’s focus on survivors, and said that while seeing changes to Title IX within the university is exciting, SWSSU wants to make sure the changes are actually having positive effects.

“I hope that the work continues to be done, and we’re doing the work,” Turner said. “So I’m just grateful for the actions of the students and also our collaboration with faculty to ensure a better student experience.”

Published on August 30, 2022 at 11:33 pm

Contact Jana: jlseal@syr.edu | @JanaLoSeal