This April marks the 20th annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a yearly campaign to raise public awareness and educate communities on preventing sexual violence.
Sexual violence can be an uncomfortable topic, but it is an important one. According to RAINN, “Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation.”
As a society, we often misinterpret sexual assault as only extreme or violent acts. And while sexual abuse may certainly include physical acts of force, it can also occur through manipulation and coercion. Stereotypes about sexual assault and the reporting process can keep us from seeing and acting on it in our own lives and the lives of those we care about.
A major element of progress toward change is the safe and secure reporting process offered by Title IX.
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program that receives federal financial assistance. The law spans a variety of subjects, including equal funding for female and male sports and incidents of sexual coercion and violence (see specific parameters for Title IX here). At Union, the main function of the Title IX committee is education.
“Whether you’re staff, faculty, student or visitor, we want a safe campus for everyone. We know from brain research that when your brain is stressed, it will not learn. Important neural connections are not made. So, if you’re sitting in class fearful of something, you’re not going to be able to learn,” said Dr. Ann Singleton, associate provost and dean of instruction and Title IX coordinator. “Moving beyond the classroom, for anybody that works here, we want Union to truly be a community… The committee wants to make sure that everybody is aware of what to do if something does happen.”
Currently, the committee educates through informational posters, regular trainings for faculty and staff and informational chapels. Each academic year, the committee selects a unique focus, with this year being bystander intervention.
As Title IX coordinator, Singleton works closely with the committee and is heavily involved in the reporting process. When she first came into the role of dean of instruction, Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, President of Union University, asked if she was interested in learning more about Title IX and leading that effort on Union’s campus.
“As a female, how could I not say yes?” said Singleton.
The committee is structured with three central figureheads that engage with the three main populations on campus. Singleton primarily works with faculty while Title IX deputy coordinator and vice president for student life Dr. Brian Carrier works with students and Title IX deputy coordinator and associate vice president for human resources Dr. John Carbonell primarily works with staff. However, any person can go to any of these individuals to report.
Union offers two main reporting options: an anonymous online incident report and an individual report made to the Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinators by person, phone or email.
Singleton described that a common misunderstanding about the Title IX reporting process is that witnesses will be punished for engaging in activities against Union’s community policies, such as drinking alcohol or drug use. However, Union’s Good Samaritan Amnesty Policy protects witnesses by not allowing an official charge of violating community values for the incident at hand.
“I think it’s important that Union recognizes that in the long run more damage could be done by punishing victims because situations might not be reported,” said Cayla Cohen, junior elementary education major.
Once a report is made, Singleton meets with the individual to find out what they want to do, and the entire process is carried out with the utmost sensitivity and anonymity.
“An investigation can feel intense, so we always want to make sure that the person who is reporting is being supported, and they are aware of every little piece along the way… The one thing that makes me the saddest is to hear that someone reported something, and others may feel that nothing was done. If the report doesn’t rise to the level of an investigation or the complainant does not want to continue with the Title IX investigation, there will be still something done through other grievance processes,” said Singleton.
As a community, it is important to partner with one another in addressing this systemic issue. Sexual assault awareness is not about shaming men. Rather, it is about empowering both men and women alike to fight for the fullness and dignity of the oppressed.
“As a female on this campus, it’s important to feel heard on an issue that affects all of us,” said Keely Vaughn, junior public relations major.
If you or someone you know has been made to feel uncomfortable or experienced any form of sexual harassment or assault, the Title IX committee is there to support you, protect you and make you feel safe.
Photo from National Sexual Violence Research Center
Title IX Incident Report Form
24/7 Campus Safety and Security: 731.394.2922
WRAP (Wo/Man’s Rape Assistance Program): 731.668.0411
Jackson Police Department: 731.425.8400
Union University Counseling Services: 731.661.5923
Union University Health Services: 731.661.5284
24/7 Union University Residence Life: 731.298.7768
Dr. Ann Singleton (Title IX Coordinator): asingleton@uu.edu / 731.661.5387
Dr. Bryan Carrier (Title IX Deputy Coordinator): bcarrier@uu.edu / 731.661. 5090
Dr. John Carbonell (Title IX Deputy Coordinator): jcarbonell@uu.edu / 731.661.5081
