Title IX Office Awarded $10K From Ohio Dept. of Higher Education

Title IX Office Awarded $10K From Ohio Dept. of Higher Education

The University of Toledo Title IX Office was awarded $10,000 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) for development of new sexual violence prevention education programs.

"This grant will fund necessary prevention education for students, in a way that also provides an interactive experience to draw them in," said Rachel Kellett, a graduate assistant at Title IX. "The Title IX Office is excited for this opportunity to present the material in a whole new way."

The Expanding Campus Partnerships Grant Program was created to strengthen Ohio's ability to respond and ultimately prevent sexual assault on college campuses. The award assists the Title IX Office working alongside the Office of Student Engagement with the aim of boosting student participation.

Under the direction of Brittany Kupresanin, manager of Title IX Compliance, Prevention and Assessment, The University of Toledo's Title IX Office is utilizing the grant funds to develop new sexual misconduct prevention education programming. The grant funds allow collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement, who will be creating interactive anti-hazing initiatives under Alex Zernechel, director of Student Engagement and Campus Events.

Sexual misconduct prevention education programming will consist of two phases and include interactive educational opportunities to increase student engagement. Phase one involves presentations covering Title IX policies, reporting options and resources. Included will be discussions on sexual misconduct definitions, consent, and healthy relationships. These presentations will be given upon request to classes, student organizations, offices and events, just as the Title IX Office has done in previous semesters. The presentation also will be given at the New Member Symposium for the social fraternities and sororities.

Phase two, called Rocket Upstanders, features three new programs focused on sexual misconduct topics: consent, stalking and rape culture. Incorporated into these program presentations will be topical crafts and small group discussions. The grant also will fund an anti-hazing gallery-walk event showcasing actual stories including a real 9-1-1 call of a hazing incident.

"Through Rocket Upstander's, more targeted messaging and opportunities to engage in meaningful discussion with peers will occur," Kupresanin said. "Students can practice the types of conversations that lead to a community of respect empowering one another to discuss consent and healthy relationships.

"We hope that this will lead to a campus climate in which students feel supported when acting against harmful conduct on campus."

The Rocket Upstanders programs will be made available to all students on campus and will be advertised through The Involvement Network.

The partnership between the Title IX Office and the Office of Student Engagement is crucial for effective programming on sexual misconduct and hazing prevention, Kupresanin added.

"The Title IX Office appreciates any opportunity to partner with the Office of Student Engagement," she said. "They do a great job developing connections with the campus community and drawing out engagement with the student body while supporting the initiatives of offices across campus."

"We are excited for the opportunity that this grant presents both of our offices," Zernechel said. "There is a longstanding relationship between our offices with an emphasis of providing crucial education to our fraternity and sorority community from the newest of members to the current leadership. The Expanding Campus Partnerships Grants will allow us to reach beyond the fraternity and sorority community to help educate other student leaders and organizations about how to respond and prevent sexual misconduct from occurring on campus. Additionally, our team is excited that this grant will fund a new interactive program to enhance the programming already done by the office around hazing prevention.

"Thanks to our team member Megan Stoops, program coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Housing, we are excited to offer a gallery-walk so that the campus community can learn more about the stories of real-life hazing incidents and learn that hazing can appear in various ways and can have severe consequences," he added.

Both offices will jointly plan, advertise and execute the grant-funded violence prevention education programs.

"Preventing sexual misconduct and hazing requires ongoing dedication and collaboration" said Vicky Kulicke, director of Title IX and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator. "Our work does not stop with the implementation of these programs; it evolves. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to educate, support and encourage students to create a campus environment where everyone can thrive."

UToledo's Title IX Office ensures compliance with federal law. The Title IX Office investigates reports of sexual misconduct, implements supportive measures when necessary, and works to remedy the effects of sexual misconduct.

For more information about Title IX, the Sexual Misconduct Prevention Education program, where to report an incident related to Title IX or for additional resources, call 419.530.4191, email [email protected], stop by the office in Snyder Memorial Building Room 1120 or visit the UToledo Title IX website.