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President Schill makes yet another sensible decision

It’s a bit early to say that he’s broken the curse of Johnson Hall, but what with the General Counsel’s reorganization, the 5 searches for deans and a new VP for Research, the JH staff reorganization, and now the restart of the problematic search for an Assistant VP for Sexual Assault [sic] announced below, it is starting to look like a possibility. Back on April 2nd I posted this:

Both the Senate Force and Gottfredson/Coltrane’s hand-picked “Independent Review Panel” proposed an independent administrator who could take responsibility for sexual assault prevention and response away from the manipulative VP Robin Holmes and UO’s incompetent Director of Affirmative Action, Penny Daugherty. Those recommendations are here:

Senate Task Force on Sexual Violence Prevention: Website and Final Report.

Gottfredson and Coltrane’s handpicked “independent” review panel. Website and Final Report.

Apparently Coltrane and Bronet did not consult with either group, and let Robin Holmes write the rather unfortunate job title and the job description. The new AVP will be under Holmes’s thumb, and unlikely to challenge her mistakes and obfuscations.

Today President Schill restarted the search. Less offensive title, strong preference for someone with a JD, direct report to the president (another to Robin Holmes, alas) and our famously incompetent Title IX investigator Penny Daugherty will report to whomever is hired. Letter to the faculty below, job ad here:

Revised Posting

Title: Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator (AVP/TIXC)
Department: Office of the Vice President for Student Life and Office of the President
FTE: 1.0 (full-time)
Appointment Type: Officer of Administration
Reports to: Vice President for Student Life and President
Salary range: $105,000-130,000 annually, plus an excellent benefits package
Duration: 12 months, renewable annually
Closing Date: Search will remain open until filled; application review begins August 17, 2015
Start Date: negotiable

General Statement of Duties

The Associate Vice President & Title IX Coordinator (AVP/TIXC) reports to the Vice President for Student Life and to the President. The person in this position will be the senior administrator responsible for coordinating effective campus-wide efforts in compliance with Title IX, including responsibility for overseeing a comprehensive campus-wide strategic plan to reduce sexual assault in all forms, providing supervision of deputy Title IX officers and any Title IX investigations, and for ensuring institutional accountability in effectively responding to reported concerns and complaints.

The AVP/TIXC will supervise the Title IX-related work of the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Complaint Investigation who has primary responsibility for overseeing the investigation and resolution of Title IX reports and complaints, and the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics, who has primary responsibility for overseeing gender equity in athletics. Working across multiple portfolios, the AVP/TIXC will have the authority and expectation to guide efforts and direct staff in order to achieve the University’s objective of reducing or eliminating sexual harassment and sexual violence on campus.

The AVP/TIXC coordinates the Sexual Assault Advisory Council, is the lead administrator for the President’s Title IX Advisory Committee, and is expected to cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with key personnel in all areas of the university, including but not limited to the deputy Title IX coordinators, the Associate Dean of Students/Executive Director for Prevention and Response, and staff in the Office of Affirmative Action, Student Conduct and Community Standards, Dean of Students Office, University Health and Counseling Centers, UOPD and the Office of the General Counsel.

Description of Duties

Leadership:

Coordinate and assess the new Ducks Do Something Initiative designed to fight sexual violence on campus.

With broad collaboration and input, create a comprehensive strategic plan that will guide the university’s efforts to reduce sexual harassment, including sexual assault, stalking, intimate partner and relationship violence, and sex-based bullying (hereafter sexual harassment), in all forms.

Advise the vice president and president on policy and organizational issues regarding all forms of sexual harassment. Assist in establishing priorities and agendas, research issues of importance and sensitivity, and produce briefing materials and information on sexual harassment issues which require the vice president’s or president’s attention.

Serve as the point of contact for coordinating the university’s Title IX efforts and response to all forms of sexual harassment.

Facilitate resolution of problems that cross organizational boundaries; encourage cooperative planning and action, as necessary.

Identify, evaluate, and address systemic sexual harassment issues on campus. Gather appropriate information and data and develop responsive policy and action recommendations.

Coordinate and monitor special initiatives as determined by the vice president and/or president and ensure timely and successful completion.

Coordination, Communication & Assessment

Responsible for leading the university’s overall strategic planning efforts to reduce, prevent and respond to sexual harassment.

Interact with administrators, faculty, administrative and classified staff to facilitate effective communication between and among administrative, academic and other campus constituencies.

Provide information to staff, faculty, students and members of the community regarding sexual harassment issues as they pertain to applicable rules, laws, policies and procedures.

Ensure alignment and effectiveness of outward and inward facing materials that communicate the university’s sexual assault prevention resources, and response and compliance efforts.

In consultation with other university offices, provide leadership in the development and implementation of ongoing campus-wide climate surveys and other assessment tools to measure the university community’s overall understanding of sexual harassment and gender-based issues and trends.

Lead assessment and reporting efforts regarding campus sexual harassment in order to ensure the campus is aware of prevalence, effectiveness of interventions and programs and trends regarding sexual harassment.

Response to Reported Concerns

Work across multiple portfolios to ensure that the university’s response to all forms of sexual harassment is effective, fair, timely and thorough, and follows all legal and ethical mandates.

Assist in responding to inquiries and complaints from students, parents and other constituencies; determine appropriate course of action; may gather background information for others to make decisions.

Supervise Title IX investigations by working closely with the Deputy Title IX officers and others to ensure effectiveness, responsiveness and compliance with all state and federal regulations regarding sexual harassment/sexual misconduct/gender violence.

Provide case management of complex, high risk issues, and serve as the point of contact when such events occur.

Other Duties

Supervise the Title IX-related work of the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Complaint Investigation and the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics, plus one administrative support position

Responsible for annual reporting of efforts to reduce sexual harassment

Other duties as assigned

The finalist for this position is required to complete a criminal background check using the likes of this company that can provide a background check in Indiana and other locations.

Required Qualifications

Master’s, JD, or other advanced degree.

Previous experience as a Title IX or deputy Title IX officer or significant experience working directly on Title IX-related issues for a university, or as a civil rights attorney who has worked on matters concerning Title IX and/or issues of sexual harassment. Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to interpret federal and state non-discrimination laws and regulations, including Title IX, sexual harassment and other applicable laws and regulations is required as is experience in complaint resolution, investigations and grievances.

Knowledge of sexual harassment/sexual violence grievance procedures in a higher education setting.

Minimum of 5 years of executive, administrative, legal, or management experience.

Ability to work with time-sensitive matters and meet strict deadlines.

Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively and interact effectively with an organization’s leadership, faculty, staff, students and community/government agencies.

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills and the ability to present to small and large groups.

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills and ability to analyze, summarize, and effectively present data.

Demonstrated leadership, organizational, and management skills and the ability to prioritize multiple projects.

Ability to manage multiple, on-going and issues, complaints and incidents.

Demonstrated experience with and/or commitment to working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, in support of an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Preferred Experience & Education:

A JD degree is strongly preferred.

Experience in a higher education or regulatory compliance setting.

Experience facilitating and evaluating professional development opportunities focused on sexual misconduct/sexual violence.

Experience investigating and resolving complaints alleging sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual assault or sexual violence.

Knowledge of assessment practices involving evaluation of outcomes-based measures and campus climate surveys.

President Schill’s 7/20/2015 letter:

Colleagues,

The university remains focused on the safety of our students and is committed to ending sexual violence on campus. The search for an individual to lead the university’s efforts in this critical area has been an important topic on campus for some time and we have benefited both from the suggestions and robust discussion that ensued.

Today we are relaunching the search with a fortified job description designed to increase autonomy and strengthen the chosen candidate’s ability to coordinate efforts. The position has been elevated and will be titled Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator, with an important increase in desired qualifications and compensation.

This individual will be responsible for coordinating effective campus-wide efforts in compliance with Title IX and overseeing a comprehensive campus-wide strategic plan to reduce sexual violence in all forms. The updated position description is available here. We fully believe that the enhancements that have been made will attract a pool of candidates that will help us achieve our common goals in dealing with this critical issue.

The ideal candidate will need strong experience in working across portfolios to bring together the campus community to focus on shifting the culture, while being a model for responsiveness to the needs of survivors. To assist us in finding the best possible individual for this role, we will engage a search firm with expertise in recruiting in this highly competitive field.

With joint accountability to the president and the vice president of student life, the new position marks the beginning of a new approach to an issue that has challenged college campuses across the country. It is a critical hire as we develop a comprehensive approach based in best practices and thorough assessment of our programs and services.

There is nothing more important than the safety of the students we serve. We have excellent programs that are making a significant difference right now, but we must do more. That starts with leadership and providing the additional resources to end sexual violence on our campus.

Together, we can make significant progress on this issue. We owe it to our students and their families.

Sincerely, Michael H. Schill, President

Robin H. Holmes, Vice President for Student Life

One Comment

  1. Pamela Azar 07/20/2015

    How may I apply?.

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