Colleges and universities that receive federal funding must comply with regulations outlined in Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972, which have been revised a number of times since their passage.
Most recently, new and pending legislation is focused on eliminating sexual harassment and assaults on college campuses because sexual harassment and sexual assault "interferes with students’ rights to receive an education free from discrimination and, in the case of sexual violence, is a crime,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
Art Jackson, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the University’s goal in establishing a Title IX Office is to achieve better coordination in efforts to comply with federal regulations and to respond to reports of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
“We’ve always had a process to investigate complaints of sexual misconduct, but with the hiring of Dawn Floyd as our Title IX coordinator, the University will achieve better coordination across campus,” continued Jackson. “In this position, Dawn will report directly to me, and we plan to hire a Title IX investigator, too. Colleges and universities have been encouraged to establish an independent office separate from the student judicial process and athletics. Dawn will coordinate our efforts, and she will work closely with the Dean of Students Office, the Police and Public Safety Department and other units.”
Previously, the University’s Title IX coordinator had other job duties in addition to Title IX responsibilities. Floyd, who has been on campus since the summer, said the creation of a full-time Title IX coordinator position is a statement about the University’s commitment to raise awareness of and prevent sexual misconduct, relationship violence and stalking.
“Coordination of efforts will ultimately create a more educated and even safer campus,” stated Floyd, a native of Wilkesboro. Prior to UNC Charlotte, she was a senior litigation associate at Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick in Charlotte. Floyd earned a law degree at City University of New York School of Law. Her bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in higher education administration are from Appalachian State University.
According to Floyd, UNC Charlotte has been ahead of the curve in responding to incidents of sexual misconduct and relationship violence and in the training and education of these issues on campus. She added her position is an acknowledgment by the University for the need to have an individual who could devote 100 percent to these important issues.
“Colleges and universities historically have focused concern about public perception of campus safety when incidents of sexual misconduct occur,” Floyd said. “Legislative activity and media scrutiny have been beneficial in that everyone can acknowledge that these incidents occur on virtually every college campus. So the conversation has shifted to how to prevent sexual misconduct, relationship violence and stalking, and this is a huge step forward.”
To coordinate campus efforts, Floyd will work closely with four Title IX deputy coordinators; they are Christine Reed Davis, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students; Katherine Hall-Hertel, assistant dean of the Graduate School; Jeanne Madorin, executive director of human resources for EPA non-faculty administration, employee relations and compliance; and Kim Whitestone, senior associate athletic director for internal affairs.
The University is creating a Title IX Committee that will include students, staff and faculty, too. The purpose of this committee is to serve as an advisory board for the Title IX Office and help coordinate its activities across campus. The committee will review how the University responds to incidents; will help with the development of protocols and processes that assist both victims and the accused and create a fair process for all involved; and will help set goals for the Title IX program and assist with messaging related to its efforts around issues of sexual misconduct, relationship violence and stalking.
Floyd said another important goal was to train and educate campus members about their rights and responsibilities under Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act and other related campus rules and regulations. Work on a centralized Title IX website is under way, which will provide information and resources to the campus community.
“In particular, I would like to educate students so they know their various options for reporting an incident of sexual misconduct, relationship violence or stalking, and they are aware of resources around campus to help them deal with the incident. The same is true for the accused. My goal is to create a fair and impartial process where everyone is informed of applicable policies, processes, resources and rights, and their rights are respected,” stated Floyd.
Many sexual assaults could be prevented if a bystander stepped in to stop the situation, Floyd continued. “So we need to help our students understand how to recognize a potentially dangerous situation and intervene safely.”
To aid in this type of education/training the University has hired a full-time interpersonal violence prevention specialist Nicole Madonna-Rosario, who works in the Center for Wellness Promotion. She is an expert in trauma response and training/education on the prevention of sexual violence, including bystander training. She earned a master’s in social work from Fordham University. Previously, she worked at Lehman College in Bronx, N.Y., and before that, she was clinical director for the Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center in Stamford, Conn.