Create an End-of-Year report to enhance transparency about numbers and types of incidents, where they occur, how they are addressed, and other Title IX related tracking

The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment has produced an end of the year report, and it will be released annually. The report will include statistics related to sexual and gender-based misconduct incidents, how they are addressed, and other Title IX related tracking.

Establish and grow a social media presence for Loyola Title IX

The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment created an Instagram account, @TitleIX_LoyolaMaryland, in Fall 2021 to engage with the Loyola community including respond to concerns raised online and to enhance prevention and education. The Title IX account has grown its presence highlighted by a live Q+A with the Director of the Women’s Center, Instagram Takeover of the Class of 2025 SGA account, highlighting women Title IX Pioneers during Women’s History Month, and regularly highlighting Title IX related resources and groups on campus. The account reached nearly 800 accounts between March and May 2022. We plan to continue regularly engaging with the community through this account and continue to grow our presence on Instagram as a resource for community members.

Conduct a climate survey related to sexual and gender-based misconduct of undergraduate students and expand the survey to graduate students and employees

The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment conducted the Sexual Violence Prevention, Education, and Response survey. We received a 21% response rate with nearly 800 survey respondents. The results of the survey are discussed in the end of the year report. The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment also hosted an event in April 2022 to discuss the results of the survey with the community. Loyola will use the results from this survey to continue informing and enhancing its sexual violence program. This survey is conducted every two years, and Loyola plans to include employees and graduate students in the survey in 2024.

Regular outreach to campus constituents, such as SGA and university administration, with updates about sexual and gender-based misconduct trends and best practices

The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment, along with campus partners such as the Women’s Center, began regularly meeting with campus constituents. In AY 2021-22, we met with the Student Government Association Executive Leadership and Loyola Do Better Executive Board multiple times to discussion action plan progress and concerns and the Student Government Association Joint Conference once in the fall and once in the spring. Additionally, the Title IX Coordinator held a Question-and-Answer event with Loyola Do Better in Fall 2021. Lastly, the Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment met with the Board of Trustees in fall 2021 and spring 2022 and the Cabinet in spring 2022 to discuss updates related to the sexual and gender-based misconduct program. The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment plans to continue these regular outreach meetings with these groups and plans to expand into other student and faculty/staff constituents.

Further Loyola community's understanding of reporting options and processes for addressing sexual and gender-based misconduct through campaigns

This is an ongoing goal we were working toward prior to this action plan and will continue working toward after completion of the action plan because of the nature of our community and sexual and gender-based misconduct processes. Specifically, we know each year we welcome new students and employees who need to be introduced to our processes, and we know the regulations regarding sexual and gender-based misconduct have changed regularly since 2011. This year, we took multiple steps to educate the community on reporting options and processes. Information about reporting options and processes were included in our first year programming through Everfi, Fall Welcome weekend orientation session, and Step Up!, Loyola’s bystander intervention. Further, there were numerous outreach events to student organizations, classes, mandated reporters, student leaders, and campus departments. In total, attendance at these outreach events reached nearly 2,000 community members. Additionally, as part of Sexual Assault Awareness month, the Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment, as part of the Violence Against Women Act Grant, facilitated a yard sign campaign discussing various reporting options and resources in high traffic locations across campus. Lastly, increasing our presence on social media has also bolstered our success furthering Loyola community's understanding of resources and options to address sexual and gender-based misconduct.

Explore additional representation from campus constituents on campus committees related to sexual and gender-based misconduct such as the coordinated community response team

The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment has had exploratory conversations with Student Government Association Executive Leadership and the Coordinated Community Response Team about the necessity and possibility of expanding representation on sexual and gender-based misconduct committees. We plan to solidify the pipelines of representation in AY 2022-23.

Enhance semi-annual training with public safety to ensure best practices

The Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment, Women’s Center, and Public Safety collaborated to identify areas to enhance training and had a training approved by the Office of Civil Rights as part of Loyola’s Violence Against Women Act grant. The training was implemented August 2022.

Monitor and implement changes related to Title IX regulations including Biden administration updates expected to be proposed in June 2023 and Violence Against Women Act

The Biden administration previously announced the notice of proposed rulemaking and draft regulations would be released in April 2022, but they were not released until June 23, 2022. Upon the notice of proposed rulemaking, there is a mandatory comment period for at least 30 days but can be extended often to 60-90 days. OCR must respond to the comments, and though there is no mandated timeline for a response, the Trump administration took 18 months to review and respond to the comments and publish the final regulation. Industry estimates are that the final rule may be released by or during AY 2023-24.

While OCR was preparing for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act in an Omnibus Budget Bill. Industry Experts expect final regulations for implementation by October 2022. Some of the initiatives that were included in the reauthorization Loyola University Maryland has already been administering including a biannual sexual violence prevention, education, and response survey and focus on restorative justice practices. We will continue to monitor developments related to these legal issues and will continue to implement compliant best practices that make our process safe, trustworthy, and equitable.

Enhance Public Safety technology in line with best practices

Public Safety retrofitted all public safety vehicles GPS tracking systems and supervisors have been trained to use the GPS dashboard to track vehicles. This will allow public safety to respond to emergency situations more effectively and quickly and will allow additional data for investigations where location of a public safety vehicle is pertinent. Public Safety is continuing to explore best and mandated practices for technology to enhance the safety of the campus.

Develop resources specific to LGBTQ+ victims/survivors/complainants

Detail steps and options for informal resolution to offer additional resources to address sexual and gender-based misconduct

(Informal resolution is only with complainant and respondent permission.)

Create position descriptions for each position within the sexual and gender-based misconduct process