Action Steps 2020-2021 Completed
In the summer of 2020, based upon concerns raised online and in the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Survey, Loyola created and began work on action steps outlined to the community. This plan was completed in Fall 2021, and the steps taken to complete each of these steps are outlined below. Loyola launched a new action plan in Spring 2022 and will continue to try to address this issue within our community and ensure that the best processes and supports are in place for our students, faculty, and staff.
Immediate Action Steps
Establish Title IX Report Intake Officer roles and responsibilities
Loyola recruited 7 Title IX intake officers and trained them with over 10 hours of training. Title IX intake officers have provided community members the ability to choose the reporting option to whom they feel most comfortable reporting. Intake Officers can be found on the reporting resources webpage.
Develop a process to survey all students who interact with Title IX deputies and intake officers
Loyola surveyed all students who interacted with Title IX deputies and intake officers from Fall 2017-Spring 2021 and received invaluable feedback that will shape culture, policies, and processes regarding sexual and gender-based misconduct. Loyola will continue this practice of a yearly survey of students who interact with the Title IX coordinators, deputies, and intake officers for continual process feedback and improvement.
Establish an advisory board of students, chaired by the program manager/sexual assault prevention and response coordinator
Loyola established the Student Advisory Board in Fall 2020, and the advisory board had over 5 active students who met monthly to learn about the Title IX process. They participated in programming including creating Title IX Thursdays on Instagram, providing valuable information about the process to the community, and collaborating on Take Back the Night.
Reconvene the coordinated community response team (CCRT)
Loyola reconvened the CCRT in Fall 2021 with active members from Student Conduct, Residence Life and Housing, Public Safety, the Counseling Center, Title IX, and the Women’s Center. CCRT will continue to meet regularly to enhance prevention of, education of, and response to sexual and gender-based misconduct at Loyola.
Re-envision the Women's Center mission statement to be more inclusive and welcoming to all gender identities
The Women’s Center has aligned their mission statement with best practices and will continue to evaluate the mission considering University and Division goals and initiatives.
Enhance training offerings for Mandatory Reporters
Since Fall 2020, Loyola trained over 1,000 employees through an online training module and 550 mandated reporters through over 20 virtual trainings to ensure mandated reporters are equipped to fulfill their responsibility of reporting any incident of sexual and gender-based misconduct to Title IX. This practice ensures community members who experience harm can receive trauma informed, best practice resources from individuals specifically trained to respond to issues of sexual and gender-based misconduct.
Update training for hearing panels of sexual misconduct incidents in the grievance processes through a partnership with the Student Conduct Institute
In 2020, Loyola partnered with SUNY Student Conduct Institute, a national best practice training consortium. Title IX coordinators, deputies, intake officers, hearing officers, and advisors were required to take 8 hours of online modules yearly to ensure best practice, trauma informed response to sexual and gender-based misconduct.
Review and revise the bystander intervention training, “Step Up!”
Loyola revised “Step up!” and trained all first year Messina courses in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Over 97% of participants reported the program helped them understand their responsibility and provided effective skills to intervene in problem situations.
Inform the community of the changes to the investigation and adjudication processes for sexual misconduct incidents as a result of the new Title IX regulations
Loyola sent multiple communications to the community regarding updated regulations and infused information about the sexual and gender-based misconduct policy and process in trainings to over 2,000 students.
Mid-Term Action Steps (2020-2021)
Hire an additional full-time Title IX professional
Loyola launched the Office of Title IX and Bias Compliance with two, new full-time professionals dedicated to preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based misconduct. The Director, David Tiscione, serves as Loyola’s Title IX coordinator, and the Assistant Director will serve as Loyola’s Title IX Deputy for Students.
Conduct a comprehensive review of Loyola’s sexual misconduct policies and processes
In Spring 2021, Loyola successfully partnered with D. Stafford and Associates, a national expert on sexual and gender-based misconduct policies and practices, to complete a comprehensive review of Loyola’s sexual and gender-based misconduct policies and processes. Download the report.
Conduct additional and specialized training
Loyola infused trauma informed approaches into mandated reporter, Title IX coordinator, deputy, intake officer, hearing officers, and public safety training to ensure a trauma informed response. Loyola also held a training with all athletics coaches to discuss the policy and practices and provided additional sexual and gender-based misconduct training to student athletes through EVERFI. Loyola will continue to provide additional and specialized trainings in areas of need.
Longer-Term (2021-2023)
Continue to implement changes based on the comprehensive review of policies and processes
Please review Loyola’s 2nd Title IX Action Plan to see how Loyola will continue to enhance the prevention of, education of, and response to sexual and gender-based misconduct.
Ongoing
Questions or comments may be submitted via the online feedback form.