In an effort to increase accessibility of resources and training, William Jewell College staff are aiming to release a centralized Title IX course on Moodle by mid-February. The course, which is in the late stages of planning, will host a variety of resources for students as well as a mandatory Title IX training series in the future.
While the resources and information on the course will be available immediately, the accompanying training series will be available later this year. All returning Jewell students will be required to complete the review training series, titled “Training in 20!” after its official launch.
Title IX is a civil rights law that protects people from sex-based discrimination in education programs and institutions that recieve federal financial assistance, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Sexual harassment and assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, quid pro quo and general hostile environments all fall within the scope of Title IX violations.
The “Training in 20!” series breaks up essential content about Title IX into four modules: informed consent, bystander intervention, the reporting process and available resources both on and off campus. After students have reviewed all four modules, they must pass an end-of-course quiz to conclude the mandatory training. The entire series should take around 20 minutes to complete. The training series is subject to change, however, at the discretion of staff.
Additionally, the course will feature resources such as:
- Student Title IX training;
- Procedures for reporting Title IX violations;
- Emergency crisis information;
- Resources for victims, such as how to request a free SANE exam;
- Counseling, support groups and therapy referrals;
- Medical resources, such as information about STDs and pregnancy;
- Tips on bystander intervention;
- Information about informed consent; and
- Instruction on how to request further training.
The course was designed and created by Anti-harassment Education and Awareness Coordinator Missy Henry in collaboration with the Director of Counseling Services, Director of Campus Safety, Title IX Coordinator and several student leaders.
According to Henry, the decision to create the Moodle course was influenced by the platform’s accessibility to students. By providing Title IX information and resources in a centralized location, she hopes that students will be empowered to do their part in preventing and reporting discrimination and harassment.
“My hope… is that students will gain a deeper understanding of the essential role that consent plays in fostering a community of mutual respect, health, and safety,” Henry said. “I hope that students will understand that each and every person on our campus has the power and responsibility, through bystander intervention, to call out concerning behavior that could lead to sexual harassment [and/or] sexual assault, [and]…that students will learn where and how to get help if they, or a friend, experiences harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking.”
The Moodle course features important resources – such as how to file a police report and emergency hotlines – that are accessible to students 24/7 and as needed. Providing sources that they can access easily and anonymously may be an integral part in ensuring Title IX violations are reported.
Currently, students are only required to complete an initial Title IX training course each fall as part of orientation.
“The fact that we have not had training since then really kind of sucks. As much as I liked orientation, I remember almost none of it except for the basic stuff from the Kahoot,” said Isabel Warden, sophomore public relations and theatre, who completed initial Title IX training in the fall 2019 semester.
Although she believes a Moodle course isn’t going to make much of a difference in terms of stopping particular students from violating Title IX, Warden said she sees the value in re-informing students about consent and bystander intervention.
“[Harassment and assault] is hard to prevent because… there are still going to be people who have the mindset that it’s okay to [engage in these behaviors],” Warden said. “But I do believe that by doing more training, more people will be able to recognize ‘Hey, that’s sexual assault,’ or ‘Hey, what you are doing is not okay.’”
Warden said she hopes to see a list of non-mandated reporters with the course resources, stating that fear of unintentionally opening a Title IX case may prevent a lot of students from speaking up about their experiences.
According to the Sexual Harassment Policy, which was updated as of August 2020, all college employees are mandated reporters with the exception of “Mental Health Professionals at Counseling Services and the Medical Professionals at the Student Health Center.”
Overall, Warden said she advocates for Title IX procedures to be taken more seriously on both a student and administrative level, and an improvement to how students receive training is a step in the right direction.
“As a woman on campus, I feel like [the training] is very beneficial, and not only to my health but to everyone on campus… and as an empathetic person, I can’t be satisfied with my community unless I know that everyone else feels safe and comfortable,” Warden said.
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For confidential resources – staff members who will not report a violation to the Title IX Coordinator – students can visit mental health professionals at the Office of Counseling Services and medical professionals at the Student Health Center. These confidential sources will not report any information except if required by law, such as in the case of child abuse or potential for serious harm.
Any student who has paid the Health and Wellness fee is eligible for short-term therapy services at the Office of Counseling Services. For more information, students can email the Director of Counseling Services, Dr. Tricia Hager, at counselingservices@william.jewell.edu.
Similarly, students can see Jewell’s nurse practitioner, Paula Brown, at the Student Health Center as long as they have a valid Jewell ID. To schedule a Telehealth appointment or request more information, students can email healthcenter@william.jewell.edu, or call 816-415-5020.
To report Title IX violations, students can contact the Director of Human Resources and Title IX Coordinator Julie Dubinsky at dubinskyj@william.jewell.edu, or visit their office at 109 Curry Hall during normal business hours; and students can contact the Campus Safety Director and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Landon Jones at jonesl@william.jewell.edu, or visit their office at 124 Curry Hall during normal business hours.
All college employees, excluding mental health and medical professionals, are required to report Title IX violations as mandatory reporters.
Off-campus resources can be found at:
- Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433);
- MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Combat Sexual Assault) 24/7 Crisis Line and Advocacy Services at 816-531-0233 or 913-642-0233, or https://www.mocsa.org/services/24-hour-support;
- Domestic Violence Metro 24/7 Hotline at 816-468-5463;
- Child Abuse Hotline for Missouri at 1-800-392-3738 and Kansas at 1-800-922-5330;
- LGBTQ Violence (Kansas City) Anti-Violence Project Hotline at 816-561-0550;
- Access Crisis Intervention (ACI) Hotline for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis at 1-888-279-8188.
If you or someone you know is in danger, call 911.