Title IX used to be thought of as the law that allows men and women to have equal participation in athletics, specifically at the college level.
While that is part of the law passed in 1972, it also now specifically provides reporting requirements for sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, stalking and bullying, which is what Elizabeth Rosemeyer, Assistant Director of Title IX Compliance at Point Park, said at the United Student Government (USG) meeting on Monday.
“We’re really lucky at Point Park,” Rosemeyer said. “People are here and they want to do what’s best. The goal is to go above and beyond.”
Rosemeyer showed the legislative body a brief video on Title IX called “Know Your IX” to give students a brief overview of the law. She also noted that Point Park’s Title IX Compliance department started a program with this year’s freshmen called “Think About It” to give students an idea of who they can report sexual misconduct to, what they can report and what happens after an incident is reported.
“When we hear something…we’re going to respond immediately by starting an investigation,” Rosemeyer said. “We’re going to find a resolution to the problem.”
Sexual misconduct can be reported whether it happens on or off-campus. Rosemeyer stated that there is no statute of limitations, meaning that there is no restriction on when an instance is reported. A student could be a victim of sexual misconduct freshman year, but he or she could wait to report it until the last day of his or her senior year and still receive support, according to Rosemeyer.
The law also mandates reporting by all instructors if they learn of any of the abuses covered by Title IX.
Rosemeyer did note that there is no policy on working with other universities if a student experiences sexual misconduct on a campus other than his or her own, but that Point Park’s Title IX Compliance board meets with most other Pittsburgh universities’ boards as well, providing “dual communication.”
J.W. Tabacchi, Director of Student Conduct at Point Park was also in attendance at the meeting and spoke on instances involving Point Park students that occur on other colleges’ campuses.
He referred to a situation where underage Point Park students were caught drunk driving on campus at Robert Morris University, and another instance where a Point Park student took drugs to Duquesne University’s campus.
“Police departments and student conduct offices share that information with us,” Tabacchi said, indicating that Point Park will likely become aware of any instance of sexual misconduct involving a Point Park student if it happens on a different university’s campus.
Also at the USG meeting, the Finance Committee reallocated $200 from advertising and beverage budgets within the Honors Student Organization (HSO) in order to pay for the DJ who is working the organization’s PINKnic event this Thursday as a part of its Pink Feet fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
PointChic’s budget, which was tabled at the legislative body meeting last week, remains in the same status while USG waits to hear if the organization will be permitted to bring in vendors for its PointChic Mall event.
The Rules Committee also presented its updated dress code bill, which removed all ambiguous language concerning gender, along with specifics of what students can wear. The bill gives the President Pro-Tempore power to enforce the dress code and determine what is appropriate.
“Senators are going to use their best judgement,” Parliamentarian Blaine King said during the meeting. “It’s basically what you would wear to a job interview or a place of worship.”
As the bill was being discussed, Senator Riley Benson, who is also on The Globe staff as a graphic designer, noted that any by-laws to the USG Constitution must be presented to the senators 48 hours before voting, so the bill was tabled until next week.
