New resources available from Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office

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New resources are available this fall through the University of Michigan’s Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office, including a redesigned website, additional staff and a new team focused on prevention and education for faculty and staff.

ECRT provides support, resources and education to promote a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living and working environment for all members of the university community.

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The new website, which launched Aug. 29, promotes key resources for the U-M community, including:

  • University policies on sexual and gender-based misconduct, accessibility and disability, and civil rights and non-discrimination.
  • Steps on how to submit a formal report.
  • Confidential support resources.
  • Mediation services for conflict resolution.

“While addressing sexual misconduct in the campus community is an important part of ECRT’s work, feedback from the community highlighted the need to raise awareness of the other key focus areas of ECRT, and the new, robust website better presents all the services we provide,” said Tamiko Strickman, executive director of ECRT and special adviser to the president.

User testing was conducted to ensure the site content and navigation are clear and easy to use, and that users can quickly find important information.

New this fall, ECRT’s Prevention, Education, Assistance and Resources will serve faculty and staff by providing sexual and gender-based misconduct prevention education, training and resources.

PEAR will collaborate with partners across campus and will work closely with U-M’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center to create and provide a comprehensive prevention plan for all of campus. SAPAC focuses on providing prevention education to students, along with confidential advocacy and support for students, faculty, and staff.

The PEAR team, led by former SAPAC Director Kaaren Williamsen, will offer workshops, resources, consultations with faculty and staff leaders, and also will provide assistance in creating unit-level sexual and gender-based harassment and misconduct prevention plans.

“I’m excited to work with colleagues from around campus to create new and effective programs. This dedicated office will be able to focus on issues specific to faculty and staff, working with leaders and others in the community to offer effective and consistent training and resources,” Williamsen said.

“I’m looking forward to the new dynamic of the office heading into the fall with the more defined prevention work through PEAR alongside the important investigative work by our Title IX investigators that will continue,” Strickman said.

Additional positions within ECRT that have been filled include an adaptable resolution lead as well as a deputy Title IX coordinator, with plans to expand the team with four more hires soon.

There is no time limit for reporting an incident. However, the university encourages reports to be made as soon as possible. ECRT reviews all complaints that come into the office and determines whether a formal investigation is warranted based on concern for the safety or well-being of the university community.

ECRT is a private reporting resolution resource but is not confidential.

Confidential support resources are available for individuals in the U-M community who seek assistance or information about their options regarding experiences with sexual and gender-based misconduct, disability and accessibility and civil rights discrimination.

The new website replaces the Office for Institutional Equity site — oie.umich.edu — and all website traffic to that previous URL will be redirected to ecrt.umich.edu.

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