Title IX Trainings

The University provides training to Students and Employees to ensure they understand the Sexual Misconduct Policy and the topics and issues related to maintaining an education and employment environment free from harassment and discrimination. 

University Officials Involved in Implementing the Sexual Misconduct Policy

The University offers online and in-person training to all officials charged with implementing the Sexual Misconduct Policy, including the University’s Title IX Coordinator, Deputy Title IX Coordinators, University Investigators, Employees who could be selected to sit on a Review Panel as outlined by the Student and Employee Procedures related to the Sexual Misconduct Policy, and all other Employees involved in responding to reports of Prohibited Conduct.  The training varies by official and is based upon the role(s) the official is fulfilling under the Sexual Misconduct Policy. 

Topics include:

  • Working with and interviewing persons reporting Prohibited Conduct
  • The particular types of conduct that constitute Prohibited Conduct
  • Issues related to Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking
  • The proper standard of review for complaints under the Sexual Misconduct Policy (Preponderance of the Evidence)
  • Affirmative Consent and the role alcohol or drugs can play with respect to Affirmative Consent
  • The importance of accountability for Respondents found to have violated the Sexual Misconduct Policy, and the need for interim measures for the Respondent, the Complainant, and/or the University community
  • How to determine credibility
  • How to evaluate evidence and weigh it in an impartial manner
  • How to conduct prompt, fair, impartial, and thorough investigations and hearings that ensure due process, protect community and individual safety, and promote accountability
  • Confidentiality
  • The effects of trauma, including neurobiological change
  • Cultural awareness regarding how Prohibited Conduct may impact persons differently depending on their cultural backgrounds

University officials charged with implementing the Sexual Misconduct Policy receive regular training on these and other topics on an annual basis.  The University invites national experts to train on these topics on Grounds and frequently sends University officials to relevant local, regional, and national conferences.

Responsible Employees

The University offers online and in-person training to Responsible Employees to ensure they understand the particular types of conduct that constitute Prohibited Conduct, as well as their reporting obligations under the University’s separate Reporting Sexual Misconduct Policy. This training includes practical information on:

  • How to prevent and identify Prohibited Conduct
  • Behaviors that may lead to and result in Prohibited Conduct
  • Attitudes of bystanders that may allow Prohibited Conduct to continue
  • Potential for re-victimization by responders and its effects on persons reporting Prohibited Conduct
  • Appropriate methods for responding to persons who may have experienced Prohibited Conduct, including the use of nonjudgmental language
  • Impact of trauma

This training also includes:

  • Explanation of the Responsible Employee’s reporting obligations, including how, what, and where to report
  • Consequences for failing to report
  • Procedures the University uses for responding to a Complainant’s request for confidentiality
  • How to inform Complainants of their options for support and assistance following an incident of Prohibited Conduct
  • Contact information for the University’s Title IX Coordinator

Students

The University offers online and in-person training to Students to ensure they understand the Sexual Misconduct Policy, including how to report incidents of Prohibited Conduct, and how to access confidential sources following an incident of Prohibited Conduct. Specifically, the online Sexual Assault Prevention Training modules are required of all incoming students, including first-year students, transfer students, and graduate and professional students. Returning students are required to complete the online module every two years. You can access the Sexual Assault Prevention Training modules here. Topics include:

  • Title IX and what constitutes Prohibited Conduct under the Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • Definition of Affirmative Consent, including examples
  • How the University analyzes whether conduct was unwelcome and the existence of a hostile environment for purposes of Sexual or Gender-Based Harassment; options for reporting Prohibited Conduct
  • Availability of confidential sources, on and off Grounds
  • University’s resolution options for pursuing complaints under the Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • Potential sanctions for violating the Sexual Misconduct Policy; effects of trauma, including neurobiological changes
  • Role alcohol and drugs often play in incidents of Prohibited Conduct, including the deliberate use of alcohol and/or other drugs to perpetrate Sexual Assault
  • Strategies and skills for bystanders to intervene to prevent sexual, gender-based, and other forms of interpersonal violence
  • How to report Prohibited Conduct to University Police or local law enforcement and the ability to pursue, simultaneously, a disciplinary and criminal complaint
  • Protection against Retaliation afforded by the Sexual Misconduct Policy

Residence Staff Training

All Students who are part of Residence Staff receive training regarding alcohol, emotional well-being, and recognizing signs of sexual assault and other forms of sexual, gender-based, and interpersonal violence.  Residence Staff is also provided training on the Sexual Misconduct Policy, how to report Prohibited Conduct as Responsible Employees, and how to support a student reporting Prohibited Conduct.