Lamar University’s Title IX department has expanded their operations to increase visibility on campus. The department works to protect students from sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct.
Title IX coordinator, Monica Ryan, said the expansion process was about a year in the making.
In December 2022, the department was put under the division of vice president of strategic initiative and community relations, Freddie Titus.
“We’ve expanded the division pretty much by adding more positions,” Ryan said. “Prior to now, a single person did Title IX, so now we actually have a department. It’s been busy and exciting.
“Now that we have a department, we are actually able to get out and broadcast a lot more of what we do, who we are, where we’re located and how to get in touch with us.”
Since the expansion, Title IX has been working closely with the Student Health Center, and attends campus orientation along with several on-campus events.
“We’re also going to offer workshops,” Ryan said. “They’re more educational workshops about Title IX and what each of those subjects are, to give a more in-depth definition of dating violence and things like that.
“(At the events), we answer all kinds of questions that all incoming students have. We also have a website that has information on training, our policies, what services we can offer, things like that. We are currently in the process of updating it to add parenting and pregnancy.”
With the expansion, access to private investigators has increased, which makes it easier to file reports.
“Once I receive a report of sexual misconduct, which includes dating violence, domestic violence and stalking, I will reach out through email to contact the student and see if they want to meet with me and discuss the incident and what happened,” Ryan said. “Then I would offer supportive measures, which could include counseling or a mutual no-contact order.
“It could even be a change of residence if they live on campus. Say they live in Morris Hall and they don’t feel comfortable because maybe the other party involved lives in Morris, also. We can actually have their room changed to another hall.”
As part of the Title IX policy, any new staff, faculty and students have to complete a certain amount of training within the first year of school employment.
“Prior to that, (the training) was just going to the website, a class, and/or doing it online,” Ryan said. “Now it’s more of a face to face.”
All employees trained under Title IX are required to make a report if they see any sexual crime or discrimination taking place.
“We’re hoping that more students get involved with it,” Ryan said. “We’ve been in it for a year now, but in that year, we’ve had a lot of hurdles to overcome and getting the program ready to be broadcasted more. So, it was kind of like building Title IX from the ground up.”
For more information, visit lamar.edu/titleix/index. To file a report, visit maxient. com/reporting form.php?.