Harvard University recently released a report highlighting the growth in University-wide educational outreach initiatives on Title IX policies and services. In the 2016–2017 academic year, Harvard provided more than 100 audience-tailored, in-person training sessions to community members and customized online training to more than 10,000 students and employees. Harvard’s network of Title IX coordinators provided an additional 100 specialized educational programs to their community members.
The University has seen a steady increase in the number of disclosures made to Title IX coordinators and of formal complaints filed with the Office of Dispute Resolution since the educational push began, according to Title IX officer Nicole Merhill.
“We are keenly aware that we have been entrusted with investigating one of the most sensitive areas of human interaction promptly and fairly for the Harvard community while protecting the privacy of those who interact with our office,” said Bill McCants, director of Harvard’s Office of Dispute Resolution. “We continue to be so grateful for the efforts of our many partners to assist us in this important task.”
In a letter to the campus community coinciding with the release of the report, Drew Faust, president of Harvard University, stated that “sexual harassment and sexual assault degrade human dignity, and they have no place at Harvard. We are committed to ensuring that every member of our community can thrive, and we are endeavoring to create the kind of environment in which incidents are prevented entirely or surfaced and addressed appropriately and effectively. We must continue to work together to bring the same values of openness and rigor that distinguish our academic and professional pursuits to this critical issue.”