Knowledge is Power: Title IX Training
Title IX is a group of rulings created to protect everyone on our campus from sexual discrimination. It is crucial faculty and staff understand the civil rights laws that fall under Title IX to ensure we are all following them accordingly to provide a safe space for students.
The training is offered through Get Inclusive, and all Kettering College faculty, staff, and students are required to complete the training for us to remain compliant within federal law. To help facilitate this task, Ben Hotelling, Associate Dean of Student Success, decided in addition to the online training available, he wanted his team to participate in an in-person training. He says, “Ensuring my team is compliant is a huge priority for me. Not only did I want my team to complete the online training, but I wanted to get creative and establish an in-person adaptation of that training.”
He met with our Director of Disabilities, Accommodations and Title IX Coordinator, to create an in-person training where they could use the Get Inclusive training modules but also engage with the team and answer questions as they arose. Hotelling says, “This was an idea that we had to ensure that Student Affairs and Student Success teams – who see and engage with students on a daily basis- had the best training possible, but we also opened it up to any Kettering College employee, so we could have the biggest reach possible.”
The training was held in the new auditorium on October 11. Hotelling says, “we walked through a variety of scenarios that have occurred, or could easily occur, here on our unique campus. It really pushed our staff to understand the best course of action to take to ensure our students are taken care of.”
The in-person approach allowed for more clarification and specific examples.
“It became more of a conversation, instead of a Q&A, which I think is so important when it comes to the topic of Title IX.”
-Previous Director of Disabilities, Accommodations and Title IX Coordinator
She and Hotelling agree this training allowed for staff to gain a thorough understanding of Title IX and the resources we have on campus to assist our students with any challenge they might face. The training also explained how Kettering Health’s Medical Facilities, Kettering Health Police, and our Dean of Students might get involved in a situation.
Hotelling says, “I wanted to make sure students and staff understand their role, rights, and responsibilities when it comes to addressing, reporting, or preventing sexual misconduct on our campus, while understanding how they can make an impact on campus safety and creating a respectful learning and work environment.”
“It can be an intimidating subject, and I think this discussion-based platform created an atmosphere where participants felt more comfortable to ‘raise their hand.’ If we can continue that and create spaces where we recognize the value of those asking questions, we all become more knowledgeable when it comes to our responsibilities. A campus that has more knowledge, is a campus that serves its students better—that is the goal.”
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