Over the course of this year, sexual assault awareness has been brought to the forefront of discussion through the Title IX Office. Several programs have been held to educate the campus about the functions of Title IX, though many students may still be unsure as to what the purpose of this office is. 

The Concordiensis conducted an interview with Title IX Coordinator Mary Simeoli to further inquiry about how this office can be helpful to students. Simeoli states her office is responsible for “stopping misconduct that is already occurring, prevention education and building community culture, and helping folks who have undergone the experiences.” 

A common misconception about the Title IX Office is that it is a means for the reporting party to gain advocacy, when it actually strives to be a place of equity and thus does not advocate for one side or the other. They can, however, help the complainant find advocates if necessary. Reports and investigations differ, as reports do not force students into investigations, but can help the reporting party get in contact with support services. 

Title IX itself requires colleges by law to have a Title IX coordinator, and Simeoli’s job is to keep Union’s policies up to date and manage the annual reports to federal and state governments. 

Simeoli elaborates, “If we aren’t providing accurate data reports, you are not seeing your experience reported. A big responsibility [of the office is] those activities and trainings; we want it to be a regular part of our culture… One of my biggest jobs is making sure that those students know what their rights are, so they can know when and how they can use them.” 

The “Eliminate the X” program was born of Simeoli’s collaboration with Tina Tully ’21 and Sarah Vanesse ’21 and aims to prevent sexual assaults on campus. The program’s name comes from Tully’s art piece titled “Six Years at Union College.” The “Eliminate the X Program” seeks to to integrate sexual assault prevention mechanisisms across campus through trainings on how to include Title IX procedures in their organizations. 

Simeoli elaborates, “We started with small think-tanks at Union to help build the program through either their own or their peers’ experiences… No other institution has this; it’s built off the experience of Union students. At the end of the Fall term, we showed our good, better and best ways to ‘eliminate the X.’ This is a program for Union College, by Union College.” 

In order to help reduce sexual assaults on campus, Simeoli encourages students to check in on one another and making sure friends are staying safe, because reaching out to people can make others feel safer being vulnerable and opening up. She also encourages students to stand up to friends who make jokes or comments that make light of sexual assault or other hateful statements, as this can create strong shifts in culture for the better. 

Upcoming events for the Eliminate the X program will be sent out via Campus Events emails in the coming weeks, and clubs and organizations are encouraged to reach out to the Title IX Office for information on how to integrate the program into their meetings.