Title IX is a 1972 law which “prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.
All such programs are required to have one employee serve as Title IX coordinator, and for the past three years, Assistant Vice President for Student Development Kelly Finn has served in this role for Albion College. On Aug. 19, Vice President of Belonging and Culture Taran McZee announced via email that he would now hold this position.
In the same email, McZee stated that Title IX responsibilities would be “transitioned” to the Office of Belonging, adopting a new “deputy” model.
“The new model is to get more people involved with Title IX to make the timeline of cases move a little quicker,” McZee said. “You have essentially five people overseeing Title IX now.”
Those five people, according to McZee’s email, are himself, Assistant Provost Vanessa McCaffrey, Director of Recruitment Corey Grazul, alumnus ‘08, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lance Coleman, alumnus ‘91 and Director of Campus Safety Dave Leib, who “will serve as the lead investigator for all Title IX-related matters.”
“I’m glad that we have a team,” McZee said. “They are dedicated to this work, and they can ensure that our campus community is safe.”
The transition, McZee said, actually began last year. Before the office was held by Finn, the office was a part of the Office of Belonging, where it has since returned with McZee’s leadership. Although McZee is just now stepping into the role at Albion College, he said he served as Title IX coordinator at two previous institutions and was a decision maker and collaborator with Finn before the shift was official.
“It’s always been in my job description,” McZee said.
McZee added that Finn did an “outstanding job” in her role as Title IX coordinator at Albion College, and will continue to be involved as a hearing officer.
“I’m not completely removed from it, I’m just not the go-to person anymore,” Finn said. “I’m still a resource.”
Responding to Issues at Albion College
As a mentor with Albion College’s summer bridge program, Macomb sophomore Claire Steir met McZee when he came to speak with some of the program’s first-year students.
“People were pounding on girl’s doors and following girls, thinking they can get something from them,” Steir said.
McZee “got right down to business” in addressing the problematic actions of the students and “definitely helped fix the issue,” Steir said.
For Laingsburg senior Gabriella Motz, Title IX at Albion College “isn’t taken as seriously as it probably should be.”
Though Motz said she herself has never been involved with the policy, she has had friends who have filed reports against other students.
“I’ve heard of frats and teams getting Title IX reports,” Motz said. “There’s still multiple instances of those people still being allowed to play sports, still being allowed to be in a fraternity.”
Motz, who wrestles on Albion College’s women’s wrestling team, said she imagines if she had a Title IX allegation filed against her, she could “still essentially go out and wrestle in front of the entire school the next day.”
“I hope that gets better,” Motz said.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), “women ages 18-24 who are college students are 3 times more likely than women in general to experience sexual violence.”
Additionally, according to Finn, prevention training and communication is largely focused at the start of the academic year as a result of “The Red Zone,” a national trend of heightened rates of sexual assault and harassment on college campuses during the first weeks of the academic year.
“I think we’ve done a good job of getting in front of that,” Finn said. “We only know about what’s reported, so it’s always the question of whether it’s because there are actually more cases, or because we’re hearing about them more.”
If women aren’t comfortable speaking to McZee about Title IX-related issues, he said they should seek counsel with Director of the Anna Howard Shaw Center for Gender Equity and Victim Advocacy Lisa Winchell-Caldwell.
“I think it is great that we have Lisa to act as that conduit between myself,” McZee said.
While the Center for Gender Equity does work in collaboration with the Title IX office in several ways, Winchell-Caldwell said she wants students to know that she provides separate confidential support.
“I am a separate process,” Winchell-Caldwell said. “Literally nothing leaves my office without a signed release.”
Protections for LGBTQ+ Students
According to the Associated Press, Title IX expansions protecting LGBTQ+ students passed under the Biden administration were “struck down nationwide” in January. For McZee, this change is the “biggest mishap” to come for Title IX from the Trump administration.
Though LGBTQ+ students can no longer use Title IX as a path for addressing discrimination, McZee said Albion College’s own discrimination policy will fill the gaps.
“If a student is discriminated against, and it’s reported, it’s definitely going the student conduct route,” McZee said. “They’re still protected.”
If a student reports something using the wrong system, McZee said the college will “get it to the right place, trust me on that.”
“We encourage students to overreport instead of underreport,” McZee added. “The office of belonging, the Anna Shaw center, student conduct under student development, they have reporting options if need be.”
Building a Campus Culture
As for Albion College’s strengths in fostering a safe space for students, McZee said it’s campus culture that makes the difference.
“I want students, faculty and staff to know that we do take Title IX very seriously,” McZee said.
For Finn, though the college has a role in educating students, it’s students that have the power to change that culture.
“The reality is, students have to hold each other accountable to create the culture we want,” Finn said. “Even in small ways, students can help educate each other.”
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