What makes a good day for Jacqueline Fausnight, NEOMED’s Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Title IX Coordinator?
“I like being able to help somebody…to know I made somebody’s day better,” Fausnight said in a recent Zoom conversation. One of the things she looks forward to most is helping diversity-focused student organizations at NEOMED to plan events — turning plans into reality, as she puts it. For now, that has to be virtual, of course.
Revised Title IX regulations were announced by the U.S. Department of Education in May, just a month after Fausnight joined NEOMED. So, she jumped right into a key part of her role: coordinating the University’s compliance with the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs and activities. Fausnight has been working with Amy Furey-Ligen of NEOMED’s legal team to make the government-mandated updates to NEOMED’s Title IX policy. (NEOMED’s Title IX information and policies can be found on the University website, under the Policy Portal.)
Experienced navigator
This friendly Kent State University master’s in higher education graduate stands ready to help students, faculty and staff alike navigate through the rules and regulations regarding sexual harassment or other Title IX issues.
Many times, people don’t know what is specifically covered by the term Title IX, says Fausnight.
“Title IX applies to a lot of different areas, including admissions, athletics and employment, she explains. The federal changes announced in May pertained specifically to sexual harassment, with changes ranging from its definition to jurisdiction and procedures to be followed.
Soft-spoken but resolute, Fausnight is familiar with the territory from her previous job at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she was a Civil Rights Investigator, looking into allegations of discrimination and harassment involving faculty, staff and students. “If I was interacting with a student, it was because they were in an investigation. I’m really looking forward to having positive relationships with students in my current role,” she says with a warmth that radiates through a computer monitor.
NEOMED is a familiar place to Fausnight, too, since she completed two internships at NEOMED — one in Student Services and another in the College of Pharmacy Office of Assessment.
Fausnight shows herself to be eager to delve into projects and events – anything from the upcoming campus diversity forum in September to renovations on her home in Kent. But life is more than just work to this cat lover and roller coaster enthusiast. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in the Summit Metro Parks – and getting dinner anywhere with a nice patio.