What is the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance’s role in academic support for impacted students?
- The Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance helps members of the university community who may have experienced impacts of sexual misconduct, interpersonal violence, stalking, retaliation, or other conduct prohibited under UMW’s Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence or are participating in criminal justice or institutional processes related to such types of Prohibited Conduct. Further, the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance helps facilitate accommodations (academic, housing, or otherwise) that are needed to address the effects of the Prohibited Conduct and ensure the safety of members of our community.
What type of academic support might faculty or staff be asked to provide?
- The academic support requested will vary for students. Examples of academic support may include changing classroom seats or membership for group assignments or arranging for students to have additional time on coursework or exams. If a student needs to miss class, additional or makeup assignments may be requested.
What information is shared about why the student needs the support?
- Given the sensitive nature of these issues, UMW is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals involved. Therefore, the information shared may be limited. A range of possibilities of why a student may request support includes: participating in a criminal justice process or institutional process, such as a Prohibited Conduct investigation, that interferes with their coursework or classes (the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance works with students to schedule meetings, interviews, and hearings outside of class hours to the best of our ability); engaging in safety planning, such as relocation or attending protection order hearings; or experiencing the effects of Prohibited Conduct including sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, stalking, retaliation, or other conduct prohibited under University policy.
How does this differ from the disability accommodation process for students?
- Students experiencing effects from sexual assault, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence, stalking, and other forms of prohibited conduct may not have a medical condition that falls under the disability accommodation process. However, these students may still be eligible to receive academic support. If the student does have a disability that falls under the University’s disability accommodation process, that process is the primary method for students to seek accommodations, however, the student may still work with the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance for support. More information about the University’s disability accommodation process can be found on UMW’s Disability Resources page.
What if the request does not seem reasonable or consistent with the course expectations?
- Please contact the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Ruth Davison, at (540) 654-5656 or rdavison@umw.edu, to discuss any concerns with the request and alternative options. Similar to disability accommodations, if a request for accommodations is not reasonable, then other options should be explored and discussed with the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator.
What if a student comes to me and discloses that Prohibited Conduct is impacting their class performance and requests assistance or an accommodation and I do not know if the student has met with the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance or the student states they have not met with the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance?
- All faculty and staff are Responsible Employees (with limited exceptions for confidential UMW employees). Responsible Employees are required to report instances of Prohibited Conduct of which they become aware to the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator. Report the Prohibited Conduct through Report a Concern, https://www.umw.edu/concerns/ (for concerns about students) or by contacting the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Ruth Davison (rdavison@umw.edu) or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator (tix@umw.edu). If you have questions or concerns about the assistance or accommodation that the student is requesting, please contact the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator.
What if a student comes to me and discloses that Prohibited Conduct is impacting their class performance and requests assistance or an accommodation and the student states they have met with the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance?
- Report the Prohibited Conduct through Report a Concern, https://www.umw.edu/concerns/ (for concerns about students) or by contacting the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Ruth Davison (rdavison@umw.edu) or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator (tix@umw.edu) even if the student states that they have met with the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance. If you have any questions or concerns about the assistance or accommodation that the student is requesting, please contact the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator.
What about students (respondents) who have been accused of inappropriate conduct?
- Like students who report Prohibited Conduct, students who have been accused of Prohibited Conduct may also require academic support while engaged in an institutional process as a Prohibited Conduct investigation. As a faculty or staff member who receives the request for academic support, you may not know whether the student requiring academic support is the student who has been accused or the student who reported the behavior. If a student informs you they are being accused of Prohibited Conduct you are also required to report it. Report the Prohibited Conduct through Report a Concern, https://www.umw.edu/concerns/ or by contacting the Director of Compliance and Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Ruth Davison (rdavison@umw.edu) or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator (tix@umw.edu).
What about pregnant and parenting students?
- To ensure a pregnant student’s access to educational programs, the University may make reasonable accommodations and adjustments such as space accommodations and attendance accommodations. Additional information on pregnant and parenting students is available on the Pregnant and Parenting page.