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April is a significant month for Emory students. For some, it is an exciting transition into sunny days and the end of classes. For others, it marks a terrifying trajectory toward final exams or maybe even the end of their college careers and the beginning of post-grad life. But for survivors of sexual assault, April is particularly significant: It’s the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
Fall 2022 brought about change, as many students came forward with their stories and The Emory Wheel featured accounts of survivors’ interactions — or lack thereof — with the Department of Title IX (DTIX). Accordingly, Emory faculty and administration noticed. Capitalizing on this momentum, the three of us turned directly to administrators, calling for meaningful change. We wrote a letter to the administration calling for reform, accountability and resources for survivors, released a petition that accumulated the support of over 1,200 students and faculty and marched to the doors of the Administration Building at the Stand with Survivors Rally. However, this movement was, and is, far from over. Our work did not stop outside of the Administration Building. The real work began inside of it.
Every month since the rally, the three of us have continued to march up the marble stairs — only now, we make our way to the building’s third-floor conference room. Director of DTIX Nicole Babcock, Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Compliance Maurice Middleton, Director of Office of Respect Emily Palmieri and Associate Vice President of Health, Well-being, Access and Prevention James Raper join us at the table. Each meeting has a detailed agenda; we brainstorm how to help students prevent harm, get support and find resources surrounding sex-based discrimination.
We are thankful for the collaborative community this movement has facilitated. A group of administrators who once made us nervous have become our allies. Change is happening, and more is coming.
This year, the DTIX and Office of Respect have heard our voices and are making a variety of improvements. Babcock told us that a new Title IX Investigator has been hired and more new hires are on the way to minimize the administrative turnaround that many students have struggled with during the Title IX process. You can now find a DTIX table at many Wonderful Wednesdays, as well as present at events through the Emory Center for Women and LGBT Life office. DTIX has shared a variety of upcoming events this semester with us, including a panel with the Office of Undergraduate Education for incoming students and training for athletic staff. As many students have requested, the Title IX website is getting an overhaul. Now, it will be easier to access reporting resources and file a report and more accessible ways to view Emory policy. The website will soon be equipped to answer your questions in student-friendly simplified language and will include visual tools to help all students understand Title IX policy and its processes.
The Office of Respect is making similar changes, as Palmieri outlined in our most recent meeting. In addition to appointing Palmieri as the new Director of Office of Respect, they are in the process of hiring two new counselor/advocate positions that will be filled by licensed therapists to support students and help them advocate for themselves. All staff members in the Office of Respect are not mandatory reporters. The Office of Respect staff were previously mandated reporters for any case of sexual violence or gendered discrimination. Now, for the first time, students can turn to the Office of Respect for truly confidential support and guidance to figure out their next steps. Moving forward, the Office will also be working closely with the Emory Sexual Assault Peer Advocates as their advisor and plan to host a full month of programming for SAAM.
We want to express an overwhelming amount of gratitude to everyone who signed the petition, attended the rally or shared their story. Your voices catalyzed efforts to change what it means to be a survivor at Emory. These efforts, while impactful, do not mean the conversation about sexual assault advocacy and Title IX is over. The struggles that survivors on campus still face have not been forgotten. We are still marching, and we want you to march with us.
The three of us have been privileged to see these changes implemented in real-time, inside of the Administration Building. Now, we want to hold the door open for you to join us.
Over the next few weeks, recruitment will begin for a student-composed Title IX Advisory Committee. The goal is to provide space for a collaborative relationship between university administration and students surrounding powerful topics such as sexual violence, discrimination and harassment. Together, we hope to build bridges between administration and the student body that foster a culture of respect and empower students to use their voices to enact change.
To conclude a recent meeting with administration, each participant chose a single word to describe how they felt at that moment. The overwhelming response was “hope.” The three of us expressed optimism after months of working with administrators who consistently shared how inspired they felt watching the three of us and the greater student body come together to advocate for our needs.
Right now, we are hopeful. We are hopeful about the future of Title IX at Emory. We are hopeful about the change we can make hand-in-hand with the Emory community, and we invite you to join us.
Katie Oshins (25C) is from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Amanda Wendler (25C) is from Westfield, New Jersey.
Caroline Zebrak (25B) is from Bethesda, Maryland.
Amanda Wendler (25C) is from Westfield, New Jersey, studying political science and Jewish studies.
