Title IX Information Regarding Online Learning

  Faculty  

Dear La Sierra University Faculty:

The La Sierra University Title IX Office thanks you for your continued commitment to excellent teaching -no matter the platform- and to the physical, emotional and psychological safety of our students. 

Please know that the Title IX Office is here to support you in any way we can. 

Mandated Reporters

As we transition into online teaching please remember that, according to our Title IX Policy, you are mandated reporters. All La Sierra University employees, faculty (including adjunct), administrators, staff (including temporary employees), and student employees, are designated mandated reporters, and have a duty to report sexual or gender-based discrimination and harassment and sexual misconduct to the Title IX Office promptly upon becoming aware of a report or incident. 

As mandated reporters, if you become aware of instances of sexual, gender-based harassment, discrimination or sexual misconduct (including but not limited to intimate partner violence, stalking, including cyberstalking, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, retaliation or a violation of a Title IX No Contact Directive), you should contact the Title IX Office using any of the following methods: 

You may also download the Reach Out free App to your telephones and submit reports via this tool. You may also review our Title IX Policy. Reach Out includes information of resources you may contact for further assistance. You may access the Reach Out app by using the following link:

https://lasierra.edu/sexual-misconduct/

While our students may be learning remotely, prohibited conduct may still occur off campus that is within the jurisdiction of La Sierra University. In addition, you may become aware of incidents that have already occurred but are still affecting the students’ ability to fully engage in the opportunities offered in either the curriculum and co- curriculum. 

La Sierra University Non-Fraternization Policy

Please be aware of La Sierra University Non-Confraternization policy which indicates that: 

“Relationships, in which the partner is of a higher status, has explicitly or implicitly authority over the partner with lower states, are prohibited. This applies for relationships between faculty and students or between administrators/students/staff/faculty.”

Information to be included on Syllabus

Please remember to include Title IX information in your course syllabus. I am attaching some slides that you may want to include in your syllabus. 

The following is suggested information that should be included in your course syllabus:

Title IX

La Sierra University is committed to providing a respectful learning environment that is free of sexual and gender-based discrimination and harassment, and sexual misconduct such as sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking. If you inform me of an issue of sexual and gender-based discrimination and harassment, and sexual misconduct, as a professor I have a mandatory reporting responsibility to share the information with the Title IX Office. 

The Title IX Coordinator may be able to provide you with assistance and protection if needed. You may also want to pursue a Title IX inquiry into the matter reported.

You may contact our Title IX Office via:

Email: mvega@lasierra.edu

Phone: (951) 785-2849

Wepage: https://lasierra.edu/sexual-misconduct/

Online reporting form: https://lasierra.edu/sexual-misconduct/report/

Reach Out free app downloaded to your phones and available at the Title IX website: https://lasierra.edu/sexual-misconduct/.

Anything you share will remain as private as possible. If you wish to speak to someone confidentially, you may contact:

Definitions

You may review the La Sierra University Title IX Policy on our website where you will find the list of prohibited conduct which includes, but is not limited to: sexual harassment, stalking, sexual exploitation, sexual misconduct, gender discrimination, retaliation or violation of a Title IX No Contact Directive.

As we start our Spring quarter online, let me refer to prohibited conduct that may occur online.

Online sexual harassment may include, but is not limited to: 

  • Graphic and written statements using mediums such as cell phones, discussion threads, or other group project based online mediums; 
  • Circulating, showing, or creating emails, websites or any other online media information of a sexual nature; 
  • Revenge porn; 
  • Cyberstalking. 

Possible Disclosure Increase

While classes remain online, you will have the most frequent contact with our students, as a result you and other faculty may see a rise in disclosures of behavior that may be in violation of La Sierra University Title IX Policy.

Remember to remind students of your mandatory reporting obligations. 

Accommodations under our Title IX Policy

Our Title IX Policy provides for accommodations to be granted to affected staff, faculty or students. These accommodations may include academic accommodations and No Contact Directives.

Even though you will be teaching online, accommodations may be granted by our Title IX Office. Faculty will be informed of any pertinent academic accommodations or No Contact Directive that may be issued by the Title IX Office.

Faculty may contact the Title IX Coordinator to discuss these matters and how to implement any accommodation that may be granted.

Mitigating potential Title IX Violations and Sexual Harassment in virtual spaces

Managing discussions and activities for online students may present some unique challenges in a virtual environment. Whether harassment is perceived or real, you will need to back up your virtual classroom expectations. 

It may be useful to set-up a list of discussion or small group interaction parameters that outline respectful discourse while still allowing for disagreements and provide a reminder of what online classroom etiquette (or netiquette) looks like. As we all know, merely disagreeing with someone does not constitute harassment, but how that disagreement is expressed can. 

In addition, in most online communication, tone, body language, facial expressions, and context are absent, making it more difficult for messages and their intent to be correctly perceived. Here are a few videos that may be useful: 

Reminders to students – “Netiquette” (etiquette while online)

Please remind students that:

  • they are under the Title IX jurisdiction even though they are meeting online.
  • to be mindful of their virtual workspaces when video conferencing. 

Nude or sexually suggestive posters in the background should be taken down or their backgrounds blurred (if the technology allows for it). Students should be fully clothed and refrain from wearing pajamas, bathrobes, or bathing suits or lounging in bed while attending classes. 

Moreover, students must remind family members, roommates or any other guest/s that may occupy their same living space, that students will be joining a live video-conference and therefore only students should participate in the video-conference interaction.

Furthermore, students must be mindful to locate their devices in such a way that no other person may be in view during the video-conference.

Intimate Partner Violence 

We also need to be mindful that for some of our students, and perhaps even our colleagues, social distancing and shelter-at-home orders heightens their risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence and dating violence. 

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) increases as isolation and unemployment rises. People experiencing IPV in their home are now facing increased isolated time with their abuser and loss of access to reach out for help as it is often safer to reach out for help when the abuser is not at home. 

If you become aware of an IPV situation, do not try to solve the situation or counsel the individual. Report the situation to the Title IX Office. Remember, in abusive situations, phone, email, or online connections may be monitored and direct communication regarding the abuse may place the individual in danger. 

Resources

If it is safe for the individual, or if it may be the case safe for you,  you may be able to share local and national resources listed  below:

Riverside Rape and Crisis Center: (951) 686-7273 or their website: rarcc.org

San Bernardino Rape Crisis Center: (909) 335-8777 or their website: sbsas.org

Cyber Civil Rights Initiative: 1-844-878-2274 or www.cybercivilrights.org/victim-services
Support related to nonconsensual pornography, recorded sexual assault, and sextortion. 

Department of Defense Safe Helpline (Service Members):
1-877-995-5247
202-540-5962 (For those unable to call toll-free or DSN)
Website: https://safehelpline.org/ 

National Domestic Violence Hotline: Free and confidential service for survivors of intimate partner violence. Staffed 24 hours a day by trained counselors who can provide crisis assistance and information about shelters, legal advocacy, health care centers, and counseling. Provides a quick escape option for hiding access to website.
1-800-799-SAFE (7233); 1-800-787-3224 (TDD); 1 866-311-9474
www.loveisrespect.org 24-hour live chat service
24-hour live chat service: www.thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522 

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or Chat: https://www.rainn.org/get-help

Support Group Chatroom: SafeHelpRoom.org
Safe Help Room is a group chat service that allows survivors of sexual assault in the military to connect with, and support one another in a moderated and secure online environment. Safe Help Room discussions have a moderator who can provide referrals and help keep the conversation focused on survivors' needs as well as a reviewer who ensures all participants adhere to the Ground Rules. 

The Network La Red: 1-800-832-1901 or www.tnlr.org/en/24-hour-hotline/ Free and confidential support for LGBTQIA survivors of intimate partner violence.

 Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 or www.translifeline.org/hotline
 Peer support services for trans people in crisis or in need of someone to listen. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. Thank you for your support to our Title IX Office.

Sincerely,

Madelyn Vega-Ortiz M.A., J.D.
Title IX Coordinator
mvega@lasierra.edu
(951) 785-2849

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