Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance Expands, Will Include Title IX Office

Beginning May 1, the Offices of Equal Opportunity and Compliance and Title IX will both report to Danielle L. Williams, who has been promoted to associate vice chancellor and executive director of Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Title IX. The merger is designed to create efficiencies through the sharing of operational and human resources.

"Danielle is an experienced and knowledgeable expert in these matters and has served our campus admirably for many years," said Laura Jacobs, chief of staff. "She is regularly tapped for commissions and committees related to civil rights, she teaches courses about diversity in the workplace, and she is sought for advice and counsel by many on our campus. April Daniel is another seasoned professional and has completed rigorous training on the new Title IX regulations."

Daniel, assistant director and grievance officer in the office of OEOC, has been named interim Title IX coordinator, following the resignation of Liz Means, who will step down April 30 to pursue other opportunities. A search committee has been assembled to launch the search for a new director of Title XI compliance who will serve as the university's Title IX coordinator. The process will also feature opportunities for key groups, including faculty, staff and students, will meet with candidates and have an opportunity to provide feedback. Shannon McFarlin will continue to serve as deputy Title IX coordinator and investigator.

Additional changes are being planned to support the campus, including the addition of several planned positions, including positions dedicated to Title IX prevention and training, case management and investigations. An advisory committee involving students, put on temporary hiatus this academic year, will re-emerge with a new focus. When the Title IX regulations changed in August 2020, the decision was made to pause the advisory committee while the new policy was implemented. During the fall and spring semesters, two student interns in the Title IX have been working on a proposed new model for student engagement, which will inform the re-emergence of an advisory body in the fall.

An additional staff change occurred in January 2021. J'onnelle Colbert-Diaz formally transitioned to the role of senior HCM (Human Capital Management) administration partner to serve on our campus' Workday support team as well as retained the responsibility as associate director and ADA coordinator in OEOC. Effective May 1, Colbert-Diaz's role in OEOC will be elevated to director of accommodation and accessibility.

"The role and scope of equal opportunity and Title IX work naturally encompasses a host of civil rights responsibilities," Williams said. "Yes, compliance is a big part of what we do, but the 'why' is to engage with our community to advance the university's initiatives and resources to create a more inclusive educational and work environment for students, faculty and staff. Our job is to remove barriers to accessing education and employment and to create an environment where all forms of discrimination are abolished."

"We are looking forward to engaging our entire campus in training appropriate to their responsibilities or classification in school and deploying new tools to aid our campus in the fight against discriminatory harassment," she said.