Welcome back to Molly O’Malley, who served from August 2018 until January 2020 as assistant director of diversity, equity and inclusion and Title IX coordinator and has returned, with the new title of associate director!
The Pulse caught up with the Warren, Ohio, native to re-introduce her to the NEOMED community.
What will you do as Title IX coordinator?
The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for responding to reports of sexual harassment regulated by the federal law called Title IX for colleges, universities and school districts that receive federal financial assistance. Title IX is designed to protect all participants in the university’s educational programs from discrimination on the basis of sex. That includes parents and guests, as well as students and employees.
My job is to provide information on how to file a formal complaint (and to explain what that means); to offer supportive measures to people making reports or to survivors/victims; to explain Title IX policy and procedures to those involved in the situation; and to connect those involved in a complaint with the resources they may need, whether those resources are on or off-campus.
These duties are the same as what I carried out previously at NEOMED.
When should people contact you?
If a student, faculty or staff member has been on the receiving end of sexual harassment or feels uncomfortable in their work or educational environment, they should contact me ASAP. Meeting with me does not automatically open an investigation, but I can make sure those who do meet with me fully understand the policy and how it works.
And this is important for people to know: Those who report are able to receive support without going through a formal complaint process. Supportive measures can include reasonable work or academic accommodations, no-contact orders, and referrals for additional support.
What other responsibilities do you hold?
I help to plan campus-wide diversity programming and initiatives with student organizations. My hope is that we will see a fairly normal fall semester with annual diversity events returning and a few new Lunch and Learn programs!
This summer I’ll work on a plan for fall events – with safety measures in place as needed. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will distribute a calendar of events in August.
What brought you back to campus?
When I left NEOMED, my new position focused on Title IX. Yes, Title IX work is good and important work, but I missed the diversity, equity and inclusion aspect of the job.
Working with NEOMED’s student organizations, watching students lead the charge for change, and planning events like the Multicultural Festival, Lunar New Year and Diwali was a gratifying and fun part of my role. I am really excited to jump right back in!