The coming changes to CNU’s Title IX Office have now arrived. Most prominent being the hiring of a new and permanent Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Amy Sirocky-Meck. Sirocky-Meck previously served as the Executive Director, Title IX Office and University Title IX Coordinator at James Madison University.
According to an article by the Virginian-Pilot, Sirocky-Meck came in after Katie Wellbrock led the Title IX Office as the interim Title IX Coordinator for a year. The article detailed three former CNU students who spoke about their experiences with the Title IX Office, including how their cases were mishandled. This led to calls to reform the Title IX Office and how CNU handles Title IX cases moving forward.
These changes start with Sirocky-Meck, who at the most recent Board of Visitors (BOV) meeting said that she has been “listening and taking in information” since she was hired by CNU on July 15. She explained that she hit the ground running when she was hired by CNU and immediately started scheduling meetings with different people across campus and acclimating herself with campus.
“We are a community (CNU) that places a high value on making sure that we are treating every individual who comes here to work, to learn, with as much respect and dignity as possible,” said Sirocky-Meck.
“There’s been a great effort here at the institution to really review the Title IX process, the resources that are offered, how we can optimize the type of support and the response, and really go to that next level with prevention and response,” said Sirocky-Meck.
She explained that she got to walk into a situation at CNU where she saw “thoughtful” and “intentional work” from faculty, staff, students, administrators, and external constituents, who have all come together to try to improve the Title IX experience.
At the BOV meeting on September 10, Sirocky-Meck also explained that they are aiming to continue to educate people on their policies and procedures and get more feedback, which includes data, ongoing communication, relationship building and more.
One of the big changes that has come to the Title IX Office is outsourcing investigations. At the BOV meeting, it was announced that Institutional Compliance Services (ICS) will be the company that handles complaint investigations and decision-making. Wellbrock stated during the meeting that this change was needed for students to feel the process was unbiased.
“At my previous institution, I was not part of making decisions about outcomes and that was very intentional,” said Sirocky-Meck.
Sirocky-Meck explained that her previous position with the JMU Title IX Office was one where they would receive and respond to incidents of Title IX. The position also included being a place of support and resources for students, but not a place of decision making.
“This is never a story about numbers but a story about people,” said Sirocky-Meck when talking about the people who come to the Title IX Office.
This is an idea that CNU will now employ. Sirocky-Meck explained that the Title IX Office at CNU is there to support students with whatever decision they want to make. She explained that the “way forward” for students is different for all and they have resources for all of it. She said for some it might be utilizing confidential resources or for others academic resources and for some she said that means going through a “conduct process.”
“I want to make sure that people understand that the Title IX Office is always available for supportive measures and resources regardless of if a formal complaint is filed, and regardless of the outcome of a formal complaint,” said Sirocky-Meck.
“We want to create processes where people, complainants, and respondents are experiencing that their perspective has been heard,” said Sirocky-Meck.
