Central College hosted Title IX investigators from colleges across the country for Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) training April 13-14. Nearly 30 institutions, from Michigan to California, were represented by 175 administrators who participated, and 15 Central College representatives were certified.
Peggy Fitch, Central’s Title IX coordinator and vice president for student development, said hosting the conference allowed Central to train a large team of responders for sexual and relationship misconduct cases and receive expert recommendations based on case studies. “Training people to investigate these cases thoroughly, accurately and fairly is absolutely essential,” Fitch said. “The reason we do this is to better serve students — and employees and the campus community.”
Training was led by Brett Sokolow, executive director of ATIXA and CEO of National Center for Higher Education Risk Management (NCHERM Group). Participants learned about the legal basis for Title IX liability, how to create a model sexual and relationship misconduct policy, and how to conduct investigations. ATIXA has certified more than 2,000 school and campus Title IX coordinators and civil rights investigators.
Tim Phillips, associate vice president and dean of students for St. Ambrose University, attended the training with six members of his team and said outstanding, detailed sessions provided an opportunity to scrutinize and improve their work. “We know there’s a lot of emphasis on institutions knowing their obligations,” Phillips said. “Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.”
At Central, Fitch was named Title IX coordinator last fall and accepted responsibility for training Central faculty, staff and students. She leads a team of 18 faculty and staff members trained to investigate any claims of sexual and relationship misconduct.
Colleges have no jurisdiction over crimes, including sexual assault. Instead, Title IX investigators determine whether individuals have violated campus codes of conduct. Every college and school district in the U.S. is required to have a Title IX coordinator, and Fitch said Central is committed to sustaining a safe, healthy environment where anyone can voice and resolve complaints. The college recently provided online training modules for all employees. Students will also receive online training sessions starting this summer and throughout the academic year.
