Title IX Coordinator/Team & Responsibilities

TITLE IX COORDINATOR/TEAM

Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Responsibilities: All educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance must designate and authorize at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with its responsibilities under Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities. These designated employees are generally referred to as Title IX Coordinators.

 The following people have been designated as the Title IX Coordinator, Title IX Deputy Coordinators and Title IX Investigator:

• Dr. Randy Worden, Vice President for Student Life and Title IX Coordinator (Senior Title IX Officer)
  Office:  Student Life Office Suite, 1^st floor Burpee Student Center (next to Den)
  Phone:  815-226-3398 / E-Mail: RWorden@rockford.edu

• Monique DiVenti, Vice-President of Human Resources (Deputy Title IX  Coordinator)
  Office:  Human Resources Office, 1^st floor Nelson Hall
  Phone:  815-394-4376 / E-Mail:  MDiVenti@rockford.edu

• Elaine Sharpe, Associate Professor of Psychology (Title IX Investigator)
  Office:  Starr Science, 4^th floor, Room 436
  Phone:  815-226-4112 / E-Mail:  ESharpe@rockford.edu

The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for responding to reports and complaints of sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment on behalf of Rockford University. The Title IX Coordinator’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Receiving the required training in relevant state and federal laws and Rockford University policies and procedures;
• Advising an individual, including a complainant, third-party reporter, or respondent, about Rockford University’s policies and procedures related to sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment as well as explaining courses of action available at Rockford University and the courses of action available externally regarding any such incidents, including reporting to law enforcement;
• Receiving incident reports of sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment;
• Informing complainants of the availability of supportive measures;
• Informing complainants of the process for filing a formal complaint under Title IX;
• Offering supportive measures to complainants designed to restore or preserve equal access to Rockford University’s education program or activity;
• Conducting Title IX investigations;
• Working with respondents to provide supportive measures, as appropriate;
• Coordinating the effective implementation of both supportive measures (to one or both parties) and remedies to a complainant as well as disciplinary sanctions which may be imposed upon a respondent after the formal complaint process;
• Provide or facilitate ongoing training, consultation and technical assistance on Title IX for all students, faculty, and staff;
• Monitoring full compliance with all requirements and timelines specified in the complaint procedures;
• Compiling required reports; and
• Handling other tasks and responsibilities as determined by the Title IX Coordinator.

Specifically, Deputy Title IX Coordinators are/will:

• Knowledgeable and trained in relevant state and federal laws and University policy and procedures;
• Available to advise an individual, including a reporting party or responding party, about the courses of action available at the University, both informally and formally, and the courses of action available externally including reports to law enforcement;
• Available to take sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, and sexual harassment incident reports;
• Direct individuals, including a reporting party or a responding party, to resources;
• Conduct Title IX and sexual misconduct investigations;
• Provide leadership as it relates to training and education of students, employees, visitors and guests on sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and Title IX;
• Assist in providing an efficient and effective institutional response to each report of sex discrimination, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment received;
• Handle other tasks and responsibilities as determined by Title IX Coordinator.

Together, the Title IX Coordinator, the Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and Title IX Investigators comprise the Title IX Team. The Title IX team works together to make Rockford University a campus that is free of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. You can contact any member of the Title IX team for information or assistance, or to report to the University if you have experienced or learned about any instances of harassment or misconduct. You can also contact the team with any suggestions for improving University policies, procedures or resources.

Jurisdiction

Any person may experience sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, or sexual harassment anywhere. Therefore, any individual may report any incident to the Title IX Coordinator. However, Rockford University ’s response to such incidents is dependent upon the location of the alleged incident.

The Title IX grievance procedures described in this policy must be applied when alleged incidents of sexual harassment as defined in Definitions occur in Rockford University’s own education program or activity as defined in the Relevant Terms section of this policy and in the United States.

Alleged incidents of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct which occur outside of the University’s own education program or activity or outside of the United States, for example on a study abroad program, will be addressed using the conduct process outlined in the University Code of Conduct (for incidents involving students) or the processes outlined in the Faculty and Employee Handbooks (for incidents involving employee to employee conduct).

Rockford University jurisdiction extends to electronic, digital, and online sexual harassment. Factual circumstances of electronic, digital, and online sexual harassment will be analyzed on a case by case basis to determine the context in which the harassment occurred. Such sexual harassment which occurs in an education program or activity as defined in the Relevant Terms section (in which the University exercises substantial control over the respondent and the context in which the harassment occurs) will be addressed using the Title IX grievance process outlined in this policy. Incidents of electronic, digital, and online sexual harassment or misconduct which occur outside of the University’s own education program or activity are subject to conduct processes described in the University’s Code of Conduct (for incidents involving students) or the Faculty and Employee Handbooks (for incidents involving employee to employee conduct).

For clarification regarding incidents which occur on-campus versus off-campus, see the definition of Education Program or Activity in the Relevant Terms section of this policy.

The Illinois statute (110 ILCS 155/ Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act) applies to incidents of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking, regardless of where the incident occurs.

Updated: August 2020