To the Editor,
I am writing to clarify information and correct inaccuracies in the article about Title IX in the Feb. 5 issue of The College Voice. I had been acting as the interim Title IX Coordinator after the departure of the College’s former Title IX Coordinator, whose position was part-time. As I managed the transition and planned for the future of this critical position, I determined that the College should combine Title IX oversight with oversight for other forms of bias, harassment, and discrimination. Title IX, remember, is fundamentally about harassment and discrimination on the basis of sex and gender, so this trend to combine these areas is becoming more commonplace in higher education.
With this decision, I appointed Associate Dean McNeely Cobham as Title IX Coordinator, moving oversight of the operations of Unity House, the Womxn’s Center and the LGBTQIA Center out of her area of responsibility, adding in campus-wide education, training and response to all forms of harassment and discrimination, and making the position full-time. It’s a very good model for Conn, and one I believe will be quite effective. Unfortunately, Associate Dean McNeely Cobham decided to leave the College to pursue another opportunity. As I look to fill this important role, I will invite students to participate in the planning and hiring processes.
Lastly, to correct the most glaring inaccuracies in the article, our former part-time Title IX Coordinator did not leave because of workload. As a part-time position, it was very well aligned with the average number of cases Conn experiences. And finally, the expansion of the advocacy team is not about distributing responsibility, it is about giving students, staff and faculty more options for support. Our goal is to ensure people feel comfortable reporting issues. This expanded team of confidential campus advocates are now a more diverse group who can respond to the needs of the members of our community.
Sincerely,
John F. McKnight Jr.
Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion
