Director of Institutional Equity

The Director of Institutional Equity provides strategic leadership for the Colleges civil rights compliance nondiscrimination and institutional equity work. The Director serves as the Colleges Title IX Coordinator and designated Title VI contact and is the central point of contact for reports and questions concerning sex discrimination sexual harassment and misconduct race color and national-origin discrimination and related retaliation. The Director leads the Colleges response to reports of discrimination and harassment; oversees fair prompt and equitable resolution processes; and advises senior leaders on emerging legal requirements institutional risk climate trends and opportunities to strengthen an inclusive learning and working environment.

The Director chairs the Bias Response Team and the Inclusive Excellence these roles the Director coordinates supportive educational and systemic responses to bias and advances campus-wide inclusive excellence priorities while maintaining clear boundaries between bias response formal grievance processes employee relations student conduct and protected expression.

Job Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Colleges Title IX Coordinator and coordinate the institutional response to Title IX and related reports and complaints of sex discrimination.

• Manage intake and initial assessment; coordinate supportive measures; emergency removal and safety coordination as applicable; oversight of investigations informal resolutions hearings appeals remedies and outcomes; recruitment training and supervision of investigators decision-makers hearing panel members and process advisors; monitoring for conflicts of interest and bias; maintaining case records; identifying patterns and climate concerns; and collaborating with Student Life Academic Affairs Human Resources Campus Safety Student Counseling Center Student Health Services and other appropriate campus partners.

• Serve as the Colleges Title VI contact and coordinate responses to reports of discrimination harassment and bias involving protected characteristics

• Oversee centralized intake assessment referral investigation resolution and follow-up

• Coordinate the Bias Information Awareness & Support Process or successor process; identify patterns or systemic concerns; and collaborate with Academic Affairs Human Resources Student Life and other institutional offices to determine the appropriate process and responsive action.

• Coordinate with the Office of Student Accessibility Services and Human Resources on disability-related nondiscrimination and grievance matters ensuring clear referral pathways and appropriate institutional follow-up.

• Provide independent neutral and trauma-informed guidance to students faculty staff administrators and third parties regarding rights options reporting pathways supportive measures and resolution processes.

• Maintain communication with the President and other senior leadership on matters presenting significant compliance safety climate or institutional risk concerns.

• Receive assess and appropriately route reports of discrimination harassment and sexual misconduct relationship violence stalking retaliation and bias involving students staff faculty applicants visitors programs or College activities.

• Coordinate the Colleges civil rights response to external agency complaints audits inquiries and information requests in consultation with outside General Counsel and other appropriate offices.

• Monitor relevant federal and state laws regulations and guidance

• Review and revise College policies procedures notices forms and protocols.

• Advise institutional leaders regarding civil rights compliance and emerging risks

• Conduct pattern trend and climate analyses

• Prepare incident and compliance reports for senior leadership

• Support consistent equitable and timely institutional practices.

• Develop coordinate and assess College-wide education for students faculty and staff

• Assign and supervise trained investigators decision-makers hearing panelists advisors informal-resolution facilitators and external professionals

• Collaborate with campus partners on prevention programming and community education that is culturally responsive accessible and appropriate for a residential liberal arts college.

• Maintain clear accessible web and written resources describing policies reporting options supportive measures grievance procedures and external reporting agencies.

• Chair and coordinate the Inclusive Excellence Council including its annual priorities membership engagement agenda development meeting facilitation implementation planning progress monitoring and communication with institutional stakeholders and recommendations to senior leadership.

• Translate the Colleges inclusive excellence commitments into measurable cross-divisional goals and support access belonging retention employee engagement and institutional effectiveness.

• Partner with Academic Affairs Student Life Human Resources Enrollment Institutional Effectiveness Marketing & Communications and other areas to align initiatives reduce duplication and strengthen accountability.

• Support initiatives (e.g. Hillel Campus Climate Initiative Education Character Initiative) that advance access equity belonging and an inclusive campus climate aligned with the Colleges mission and strategic priorities.

• Develop an annual progress report or dashboard that summarizes priorities outcomes climate indicators and recommended next steps.

• Maintain complete secure and legally compliant case records training records notices templates and records-retention practices and ensure appropriate access controls and confidentiality.

• Manage office operations records budgets contracts data and assessment activities.

• Prepare required and requested reports for Senior Leadership and an annual public-facing summary.

• Maintain appropriate professional certifications and continuing education.

• Participate in Welcome Week Resident & Peer Assistant training New Employee and Faculty trainings and other College programs as needed and serve on College committees and perform other duties consistent with the positions purpose and as assigned.

Job Qualifications:

• Masters degree in higher education public policy human resources social work student affairs or a closely related field is required; JD or other relevant terminal degree (e.g. Ph.D. Ed.D.) preferred.

• Five years of progressively responsible experience in civil rights compliance Title IX/Title VI administration equal opportunity investigations student conduct employee relations or a closely related field is required.

• Demonstrated working knowledge of Title IX and Title VI and familiarity with VAWA the Clery Act Title VII the ADA Section 504 and other laws and regulations relevant to discrimination and harassment in higher education is required.

• Strong writing public speaking facilitation analytical organizational and project management skills including the ability to manage multiple high-priority matters and deadlines is required.

• Demonstrated ability to build trust and work effectively with students faculty staff senior leadership and external partners across a range of identities perspectives and institutional roles is required.

• Formal Title IX Coordinator investigator hearing office informal resolution and/or civil rights compliance training or certification preferred.

• Experience serving as a Title IX Coordinator Deputy Title IX Coordinator equal opportunity officer or institutional equity director preferred.

• Experience supervising staff or multidisciplinary teams and leading campus-wide councils or response teams preferred.

• Experience in a small private residential liberal arts college environment preferred.

• Experience with case-management systems policy development data analysis prevention education climate assessment and external agency responses preferred.

Required Knowledge Skills and Competencies:

• Civil rights compliance expertise and a commitment to fair equitable and consistent processes.

• Strategic leadership that connects regulatory compliance prevention and consistent processes.

• Demonstrate ability to apply trauma-informed culturally responsive and procedurally rigorous practices in sensitive and complex matters.

• Excellent judgment discretion emotional intelligence and ability to lead through conflict and ambiguity.

• Capacity to translate complex legal and policy requirements into clear practical guidance for varied audiences.

Physical Demands:

General office environment that requires sitting on a constant basis. The candidate will perform computer work keyboard use and telecommunications on a frequent basis. Manual dexterity will be required to perform keyboard and writing activities on a frequent basis. Visual acuity is required on a frequent basis to read and review print and electronic documents. Reaching and pushing/pulling with a force of up to 10lbs will be performed on a rare basis. Mobility of the candidate will be sufficient to allow moving about the office and to and from the building on an occasional basis. The physical demands must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

A complete application includes a cover letter and a resume.

Benefits Highlights:

• 403 (b) Retirement

• Medical Dental and Vision Insurance

• Vacation Time (23 days)

• Sick Time (12 days)

• Paid Holidays (21 days)

• Employee Assistance Program

• Long-Term & Short-Term Disability

• Life and AD&D Insurance

• Tuition Remission

For a full list of our benefits and additional information please navigate to our benefits site.

Rhodes is an equal opportunity employer that offers an excellentbenefitspackage and a great working environment.