Information for Faculty
Title IX is part of the Higher Education Act of 1965 which is a federal mandate with
implications for all College employees, including full time faculty and adjunct faculty.
Failure to comply with Title IX can result in violations of students' and employees'
civil rights, a loss of students' financial aid money, and lawsuits and federal investigations.
Faculty at Harper College have a unique role because they are often the only trusted
adults with whom students may interact on a frequent basis, making them likely to
learn about incidents of sexual misconduct and discrimination. At the same time, Harper
students are likely to see faculty as responsible adults who have the authority to
assist them or address concerns.
What are my responsibilities as a faculty member?
First, you must be familiar with Harper's policy on sex discrimination. If you interact
with a student who has experienced discrimination or harassment, you should respond
in a caring manner. You also are required to report incidents of sexual harassment that you observe, or that are reported to
you by students or others, to the Title IX Coordinator(s). This applies whether the
incidents happen on- or off-campus, and whether they involve students, employees,
visitors to campus, or others. Finally, you can help Harper reduce the risk of discrimination
by utilizing resources and promoting education about this important issue.
Given the nature of our commuter campus, faculty can help ensure that Harper meets
it legal mandates to educate all students about the campus policy, what constitutes consent, how to report incidents,
and how to reduce the risk of sexual violence. Please be assured that you are not
expected to be an expert on the policy, nor are you expected to provide counseling
to help a student who has been traumatized. But, you should know how to contact the
Title IX Coordinator(s), and you should comply with directions from them when needed
to provide interim or permanent remedies under Title IX.
Following these five principles will enable you to do your part to help Harper College
be compliant with Title IX and other relevant state and federal laws, such as the Violence Against Women Act, the Clery Act, and the Illinois Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act.
REVIEW policies and procedures |
Harper College prohibits sex discrimination, which includes discrimination based on
sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression. This includes
things like:
- Harassment, including creating a hostile environment
- Non-consensual sexual intercourse (such as sexual assault and rape)
- Non-consensual sexual physical contact
- intimate partner violence (including dating violence and domestic violence)
- Stalking
- Sexual exploitation
- Other forms of gender-based misconduct, such as bullying or hazing
The policy applies to behaviors that occur both on and off-campus, when the behavior
affects a student's access to their education or a program at Harper, or when it affects
an employee's ability to do their job. It also applies to transgender, pregnant, and
parenting students. View Harper's complete policy on Sexual Discrimination, Harassment and Misconduct as well as the Definitions of Criminal Behaviors.
If a person has experienced harassment, victimization, or violence, the response from
those they confide in will impact what they do, how they feel about what happened,
whether they feel supported at Harper College, and ultimately, whether they are successful
here.
- If someone tells you about an incident, exhibit care. Believe them, and offer them
information and resources. You don't have to be an expert on the policy or the law
to be a good listener and to connect them to a Title IX Coordinator.
- Don't just be a bystander. Intervene if you hear offensive jokes or comments made
in a class. Address things in the moment and make them part of classroom discussions
so that those who hear them know that you don't tolerate hurtful words or attitudes.
While a specific statement may constitute protected speech, it may also contribute
to a hostile environment. Having a conversation about the impact of words (regardless
of intent) may be one of the most educational things you can do for a student.
- Comply with direction from the Title IX Coordinator(s). Remedies under Title IX may
include no-contact orders, require that a student be moved to another class section,
allow a student to finish a course remotely, or allow a student to administratively
withdraw from a course. The Title IX Coordinator(s) will work with you to ensure that
your academic freedom and authority over the academic performance is maintained, while
the involved students' rights are upheld.
Faculty are considered to be responsible employees and may not keep reports of crimes
or incidents of sexual misconduct to themselves. Even if a student requests that you
keep their information confidential, it is important that you remind them that you
are not a confidential resource and you just want to ensure that they receive the
information and support that they are entitled to under the law. Faculty are required
to report the following:
- If you observe or become aware of sexual or gender-based misconduct that occurred on campus, or was experienced on- or off- campus by student or employee,
report that online. This includes incidents ranging from unwanted text messages to forced sexual intercourse.
It is not your job to determine if harassment actually occurred - you should communicate
all reports of alleged harassment. If you have questions about what happens when you
report an incident, contact the Title IX Coordinator(s).
- If it is reported to you that a crime may have occurred on campus or near the campus, call Harper Police Department at
847-925-6330 and report the known information, including: the names of the individuals
involved, the nature of the incident, the date/time, and the location. You do not
need to investigate or determine if a crime actually occurred, you just need to inform
the Police that it was reported to you that one may have occurred. This applies to all crimes, not just incidents related to sexual misconduct.
- If you become aware of a child (under 18) who is abused or neglected, you must report
that to DCFS by calling 1-800-252-2873, and then report it to the Chief Human Resources Officer.
- Don't engage in behaviors that constitute harassment, discrimination, or other forms
of gender or sexual based misconduct.
- Ensure that your teaching practices don't favor or adversely affect one gender or
sex over another.
- Educate yourself on Title IX and the campus policy. For example, these protect transgender students, pregnant, and parenting students.
- Discuss the campus policy with your students and ensure they know that Harper does
not tolerate sex discrimination, that there is a process to investigate and address
incidents, and how they can contact the Title IX Coordinator(s).
- Include a statement on your course syllabus, such as: "Title IX prohibits sex discrimination including sexual misconduct, harassment, domestic
and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, based on sex, gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity or gender expression. If you or someone you know has been harassed
or assaulted, you can receive confidential support and advocacy through Northwest
Center Against Sexual Assault by calling the 24-hour hotline at 888-802-8890. To report
a crime or get assistance from Harper College Police, please call 847-925-6330. To
report any incident of sexual or gender based misconduct, or learn about your options
for support and assistance from the College, visit http://harpercollege.edu/titleIX or email titleIX@harpercollege.edu. As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to promote a safe learning environment
on campus, which means I am not a confidential resource and I will need to report
incidents brought to my attention to the appropriate authorities, including law enforcement
and the Title IX Coordinator(s)."
- Invite the Title IX Coordinator(s) or Northwest CASA to present information to your class or facilitate a discussion. This contributes
to Harper's compliance with the federal and state mandates for educating students.
style="text-decoration: line-through;">In addition to Title IX requirements, the Illinois
Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act requires that starting in August
2016, all students who attend at least one class on campus receive education about
the College's policy, definition of consent, how to report incidents, available resources
for survivors, and strategies for risk reduction and bystander intervention. Faculty
have a critical role to play towards campus compliance.
RESOURCES available to you |
Helping a student who has been a victim of sexual harassment, especially incidents
involving sexual assault, stalking, or intimate partner violence, require specialized
training. Use your resources as you are not expected to support a student on your
own. Review the content on the Title IX website, which explains:
If you aren't sure whether you should report something, or whether something constitutes
potential harassment or discrimination, contact one of the College's Title IX Coordinators:
- Mary Kay Harton, Dean of Students: 847.925.6846
- Beverly Riley, Employee Relations Manager: 847.925.6218