Last Monday, Point Park’s Title IX coordinator left Point Park to lead Title IX efforts at Carnegie Mellon University. Elizabeth Rosemeyer, who was the Title IX coordinator for over four years, oversaw the entirety of Title IX, including policy development and compliance.

Keith Paylo, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students and Student contact for Title IX, confident in Rosemeyer’s abilities as a Title IX coordinator.

“She’s the best in this city, without a doubt. I’d put her up against any Title IX coordinator, especially within the Pittsburgh Council of Higher Education.”

Now that Rosemeyer has left Point Park, Title IX will change its structure. The Director of Title IX and Diversity will now report to  Vice President of Human Resources Lisa Stefanko, who is currently serving as the interim Title IX coordinator, and will do so until the university can find someone else to fill the position.

The Director of Title IX and Diversity will be focused on making sure the Title IX program runs smoothly. As Stefanko assumes the role, the university will continue to search for candidates. JW Tabacchi will assume the role of Interim Director of Title IX and will be responsible for case management and prevention education until the full-time position is filled.

According to Michael Gieseke, Dean of Student Life, Point Park considers this position to be a priority and looks to fill it as soon as possible.

“Our hope before the end of the semester is to have the position filled,” Gieseke said.

Gieseke noted the university is looking for someone who will understand the responsibility universities have in Title IX cases and someone who has the passion to be an advocate for those who come forward. He also stressed they need to make sure Point Park is holding itself to the highest standard.

“We need someone who is passionate about Title IX,” Gieseke said.

Stefanko will personally oversee the process of finding a new coordinator for the Title IX program, while it does not currently have a replacement, educational programs and other Title IX resources will continue to be available to students. In an interview conducted over email, Stefanko described some services offered by Point Park’s Title IX program.

“Point Park provides mechanisms for supporting each person through the healing process, including access to health services, counseling, legal action and academic support, and taking necessary measures to ensure the reported behavior comes to an end,” Stefanko said.

Paylo, who was one of the first staff members at the university to become certified in Title IX, notes that he believes Point Park has always taken the topics of sexual assault and Title IX very seriously.

“We have policies and procedures that we follow and I have always believed that we are ahead of the curb,” Paylo said.

According to the job listing, Point Park is looking for someone who is “knowledgeable of diversity issues, including faculty and staff recruitment and retention strategies, the impact of diversity on education and the business case rationale for the importance of diversity.”

During an interview on Monday, Paylo described why he believes that Point Park’s Title IX program is unparalleled compared to other schools in the Pittsburgh area.

“The key is following the policies and procedures to the letter of the law so that you are consistent. […] I always say we take it a step further because these are individuals we are talking about,” Paylo said.