Curry Hall has added an exciting addition to the library and business offices – the Office of Counseling Services (OCS). The 2020 fall semester has witnessed a significant transition regarding an important part of our community. The Hilltop Monitor talked with Dr. Tricia Hager, licensed psychologist, health service provider and director of counseling services at Jewell, to find out why the need for this move was necessary.

“The Office of Counseling Services relocated to an office space that allows all staff members to be in a centralized location. Curry Hall had the available space to make this happen,” said Hager.

Curry Hall, which originated as a multi-level library, has since been condensed into a basement level library and floor level offices. Previously unused space now functions more effectively for OCS than the former location in the Yates-Gill Union.

“The Office of Counseling Services is currently functioning via telehealth to keep everyone safe during the pandemic,” said Hager.

Due to COVID-19, OCS decided that appointments would be telehealth appointments, conducted via FaceTime or Zoom, to protect everyone’s best interest. This move is intended to keep both the staff and students safer through less face-to-face interaction.

“The move has been a positive one for staff and will be for students once we are able to resume in-person services when it is safe to do so,” Hager said.

The campus has been at a consistent threat level B, according to Operation Safe Campus, for most of the semester. This is encouraging, though it is still unpredictable how long it will be until in-person appointments can resume.

In the meantime, students can schedule a telehealth appointment. The OCS is offering telehealth appointments via Zoom for Healthcare (a HIPAA-compliant platform). Students who wish to schedule an appointment can do so by emailing Dr. Hager at counselingservices@william.jewell.edu or calling (816) 415-5946. After students have scheduled an appointment, they are provided a link to the session.

“Students enter into a waiting room prior to their appointment (as you would in our office) and are admitted to the therapist’s session at their scheduled appointment time. It works very similar to how it has when students come in to our office for appointments, just in a virtual format,” said Hager.

“COVID-19 has shifted the way we deliver our services to students as we have moved to a telehealth platform to keep everyone safe. This is the only change that COVID-19 has made.

We are still offering all of the same services that we have which include individual appointments, Let’s Talk, and Cardinal Connect,” continued Hagar.

Dr. Hager also encouraged students to use Let’s Talk, which is offered Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m.

Let’s Talk is a confidential, drop-in time you can speak individually with a therapist. The program runs for 45 minutes each day. It is a great way for students to get into the office quickly and be assisted with immediate needs. These appointments are one-on-one with a therapist and have the same confidentiality as an individual appointment. When you enter into Zoom, you are admitted into a waiting room and then a private breakout room to speak individually with a therapist. Information can be found on Presence. 

Cardinal Connect is also offered every Thursday from 4:00-4:45 p.m. This is a time to connect with therapists in the office and fellow peers at Jewell to gain support in this difficult time. Information for this can be found in Presence.

Mental health is important, and talking with a therapist has helped many college students deal with stress and overwhelming schedules. If you feel you need to have a chat with one of Jewell’s best listeners, don’t be afraid to contact the office of counseling services, now located in Curry Hall.

Julie Dubinsky, Title IX coordinator and director of human resources, sent an email Aug. 19 informing the campus community of changes William Jewell College made to their Title IX policy in response to new federal regulations. Jewell’s sexual harassment policy was affected most by these changes.

Betsy DeVos, U.S. secretary of education, announced new regulations May 6. These regulations officially went into effect Aug. 14. The new regulations address a criticism of the Obama era Title IX regulations, stipulating that the accused must be assumed innocent prior to the investigative and decision-making process.

Generally, those in support of DeVos’ Title IX reform feel the Obama-era regulations were generally over-enforced and led to too many students being removed from campus for violations. 

In response, women’s advocacy groups and several Democratic members of Congress, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, condemned the new rules on the basis of the strengthening of the rights of the accused. 

In the new policies passed by the Trump administration, colleges and universities can either opt for a standard of “clear and convincing” or a “preponderance of” evidence. The Obama-era Title IX legislation enforced only the preponderance of evidence standard, which essentially states that the adjudicator should find it more likely than not that the alleged sexual harassment took place.

Those who support the DeVos overhaul have complained that the preponderance of evidence is overly lenient to the complainant. The “clear and convincing” standard that schools may now opt for raises the bar for the amount of evidence needed to decide a case from just “more than likely” to substantially more likely than not likely.

Jewell decided to go forward with the preponderance of evidence standard – as had been the norm prior to the passage of the new regulations – instead of opting for the clear and convincing evidence standard.

In terms of how these new regulations affect Jewell, the biggest changes in the sexual harassment policy concern the way complaints are processed. 

“If a formal complaint is filed, the default process is to proceed using a hearing process. This is a formal process that is explained in detail in the policy. Formal complaints may also be resolved through informal resolution only if both parties are in agreement and provide voluntary, written consent after receiving detailed notice of allegations and explanation of informal resolution process. It is important to note that the respondents are presumed not responsible for the alleged conduct until a determination of responsibility is made at the conclusion of the Process,” Dubinsky said in the Aug. 19 email.

The policy details that the formal process begins after a formal complaint has been filed by the complainant. Within five days after the complainant has filed a formal complaint, a written notice will be issued to the complainant and respondent including sufficient details of the reported assault or harassment, a statement that the respondent is considered innocent of the allegation until the case concludes.

This will follow with an investigation led by an individual selected by the Title IX coordinator, involving the collection of inculpatory and exculpatory evidence. The burden of gathering evidence lies with the College and not with the parties. The investigator will conclude by preparing an investigation report that will be submitted to the adjudicator.

Then, both the complainant and respondent will receive a notice indicating that they can select between two adjudication processes – the default hearing process for formal complaints or administrative adjudication. Each party has three days to indicate their consent to participate in administrative adjudication. If one or both of the parties do not consent, the default hearing process begins.

The default hearing process begins with the appointment of a hearing officer by the Title IX coordinator. The hearing officer will then send a notice of their appointment and request that each party sends back a written response to the investigation report. Then, the hearing officer will conduct a pre-hearing conference with the parties and their advisors wherein the officer describes the hearing procedures.

In a departure from the previous hearing process, the new policy requires live hearing processes that involve direct and cross examination of the involved parties. Upon completion of the hearing, the officer will objectively evaluate all evidence and use a preponderance of evidence standard to determine whether a Title IX policy was violated. The hearing officer will then transmit their written decision to the parties.

“This will be very different from the prior process. We don’t know the impact these changes will have at this point,” Dubinsky said.

The administrative adjudication informal resolution option allows the parties to resolve a formal complaint as an alternative to the hearing process. Both parties must consent to this option in writing. If this option is selected, the Title IX coordinator will appoint an administrative officer who will be given a copy of the investigation report and evidence.

The administrative officer will request written responses from both parties regarding the investigation report and schedule a time to meet with each party individually. The administrative officer – after evaluating the report, evidence and responses – will then use the preponderance of evidence standard to reach a decision on whether a Title IX policy was violated and transmit a written decision to both parties for purposes of informal resolution.

New regulations also included redefinitions of several terms, including a narrowed definition of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is divided into two categories, known as “quid pro quo sexual harassment” and “hostile environment sexual harassment.”

Quid pro quo sexual harassment is defined as a College employee’s provision of “aid, benefit or service of the College” in exchange for an “individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual contact.”

Hostile environment sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct determined to be “so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person access to the College’s education programs and activities.”

In determining the veritability of a hostile environment sexual harassment claim, the investigator and adjudicator will look into a number of circumstantial factors – including impact of the alleged conduct on the complainant, severity of the conduct, frequency of the conduct, relationship between and ages of the parties and the number of people affected by the respondent’s conduct.

Dubinsky emphasized that, despite all the changes, she wants to make sure the reporting process is as coherent and accessible as possible.

“We strive to make sure all are aware as to how to report sexual harassment. Any person may report Sexual Harassment to any College employee and they must report it to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator. The sole exceptions to the mandatory reporting for employees are the Professional Counselors at the Counseling Services and the Medical Professionals at the Student Health Center,” Dubinsky said.

Both reports given to mandatory reporters and incidents reported to non-mandatory reporters – professionals at the Office of Counseling Services and the Student Health Center – will be included in Jewell’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

If you or someone you know has been sexually harassed or assaulted and wants to report their case for investigation, you can speak to any mandatory reporter or contact Julie Dubinsky at dubinskyj@william.jewell.edu or Landon Jones, deputy Title IX coordinator, at jonesl@william.jewell.edu. 

If you are not interested in reporting but want someone to talk to about sexual harassment, assault or any other issue, you can reach out to Jewell’s Office of Counseling Services at counselingservices@william.jewell.edu.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, William Jewell College has extended student support services in order to promote student welfare during this time. Among these resources include expansion of Student Life support, financial aid policies and academic policies.

According to an email from the Student Life office, Jewell has taken services for academic support, counseling services, health services and career development and internships online. Student Life has also sought to host online programs and activities for the remainder of the semester. 

Office of Counseling Services:

The Office of Counseling Services has taken support online. Students can access tele-mental health services and find what services may be available to them by contacting Dr. Tricia Hager, director of counseling services.

On Mondays and Thursdays from 3-4 p.m., counseling services hosts “Let’s Talk Support Group” with Hager on Zoom. 

Student Life:

Student Life has been providing strategies, tips and opportunities for connection during the pandemic. One of these opportunities is taking Friday Jewell Time online so students can meet with Student Life staffers via Zoom. Student Life is hosting yoga with Kathy Benavidez Thursday nights from 8:15-9 p.m. on Zoom. More information can be found by contacting Student Life and sessions can be joined via this link.

Shelly King, dean of students, said Student Life has gotten positive feedback from students about the continued availability of resources. King also commented on Student Life’s priorities during this time. 

“[Student Life is continuing] to be available and accessible to students during this challenging time,” King said.  “Students used to stop by our office to meet in person so we started a Student Life Jewell Time on Fridays at 10:15.  We had our first one this past Friday and had five students participate.  We’ve had other students ask if it will be continued because they want to participate next time. Zoom has worked great to stay connected and to actually see students during some sessions.” 

Student Health Center:

The Student Health Center is offering tele-health services from Jewell’s nurse practitioner, Paula Brown. The center is open 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Students can call 816-415-5020 or email Brown to schedule appointments. Full time undergraduate students can have tele-health visits for no charge and postgraduates will be charged $15 per visit. 

Students should include a phone number when scheduling appointments – and students will be texted to start appointments. All visits should take place on phones, laptops or computers with camera capabilities. 

Brown is also keeping the Jewell community updated with a Student Health Center blog. Check back at the blog for weekly updates about health and wellness.

Financial Aid:

Financial aid suspended its normal refund policy and will provide refunds for unused room and board costs. Students will be refunded approximately $2,400 for eight weeks worth of room and board fees. Graduating seniors will be refunded via check, and continuing students will have the refunded money credited to their fall semester 2020 tuition and fees. Continuing students may request the refund in the form of a check. For students with an outstanding balance, the refund will go toward that balance, with the remainder being credited to fall semester tuition – or in the form of a refund check. Jewell aimed to distribute checks by April 17.

The College also significantly increased the price threshold for course registration. Now students with an account balance up to $2,500 can register for courses in the fall. Students with an account balance greater than $2,500 were encouraged to contact the financial aid department for assistance with registration.

Students with work-study positions will also continue to receive payments throughout the semester. Students will be paid according to how much they work in a typical week. Work-study students were advised to get in contact with the business office to avoid any disruption in payment. Students with workship positions are not eligible for continued payment but can continue working remotely if possible.

Academic and Tutoring Resources:

Academic resources have taken tutoring services online. Students can find more information about academic resources like tutoring and other academic support at the Academic Achievement Center Moodle course. All tutoring appointments will be online, and more support can be found from Pharamond Guice, director of the Academic Achievement Center.

By keeping tutoring services running, the Academic Achievement Center is both providing free support to students who may be struggling with the move to online courses and is providing support to students with tutoring positions – who can continue earning money despite being off-campus. 

Career Development & Internships

Career Development and Internships is providing assistance and support of career-related needs. All remaining career development events will be held virtually – more information can be found at legacy.jewell.edu/career-development. Marissa Bland, director of Career Development and Internships, can also be contacted for more information about career development and internships. 

On the weekend of April 27-28, 111 white and 23 red flags waved in the wind on a freshly mown portion of the Quad in front of the Yates-Gill College Union. The flags were a visual representation of the statistical amount of victims of sexual assault on William Jewell College’s campus – white representing female victims and red representing male victims.

Dr. Tricia Hager, director of Office Counseling Services (OCS), heard about the Flag Project from the University of Arkansas and decided to bring the initiative to Jewell’s campus.

“The Flag Project is meant to highlight the impact sexual assault has, particularly on college campuses. Current statistics support that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 16 men are impacted by sexual assault on a college campus every single year,” Hager said. “The Flag Project is meant to represent a visual demonstration of the number of students on our campus that was impacted by sexual assault.”

The feedback Hager has received from it has been largely positive. Some students indicated that they were surprised that instances of sexual assault on campus were displayed so clearly – and so publicly – on the Quad.

“I think it’s important for the whole community on campus to see it for us to come together and realize that sexual assault impacts all of us in some way and that it’s our responsibility as community members to support one another,” Hager said. “And I think it’s a nice way to illustrate that people are not alone as well. Particularly for survivors, it can be such a lonely experience for them… A vast number of students on this campus and in this community share those experiences with [them].”

Hager iterated the importance of prevention – a proactive effort –  as opposed to reaction – a passive afterthought – in matters concerning sexual assault, believing the Flag Project to be an effective way to force sexual assault awareness into the forefront of campus community members’ minds.

This event was among the last held in April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Several other initiatives were headed by OCS earlier in the month.

One of these events was Denim Day, in which OCS asked students to don denim apparel April 24 to show their support for sexual assault victims. The significance behind wearing denim on this day as a symbol of solidarity stems from an Italian Supreme Court decision in which a rape conviction was overturned because the court figured that, since the victim wore tight jeans, she would have to help her assaulter remove them, and thus had given consent by doing so.

A few times throughout the month, OCS set up in the Union to spread sexual assault awareness directly to students passing through the building. The campaign for this year focused on the concept of consent.

OCS also partnered with MOCSA, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, to host a movie night. There students were invited to watch the film “Audrie & Daisy,” a documentary following the aftermath of sexual assault cases from the perspectives of two survivors. After the viewing, MOCSA led a discussion about sexual assault on college campuses with the attendees.

Though sexual assault awareness month is over, OCS is still working hard to support the mental and spiritual wellness of the campus community. A “Fuel up for Finals” event intended to help students relax and decompress before buckling down for final exams will be held May 9.