In honor of their new space, the Title IX Office hosted an open house to welcome the community to their updated environment on campus on Thursday, Feb. 29. Darian Marcum, the Title IX case manager, explained the goal of hosting the open house.

“First, we wanted to introduce our new space and show off our new interview room, which is something our Title IX coordinator, Jessica Rhodes, has worked hard to put together.”

The addition of a new interview room intended to create a less for mal space where whomever is going through the Title IX process can avoid sitting across the table from staff members. Overall, the hope was to make everyone participating more comfortable.

Mandi Hurley, the Title IX investigator, said, “The Title IX Office acknowledges the stress and anxiety that students may experience during the Title IX process, so the office is designed to help provide privacy and minimize stress and anxiety with more soothing decor and even an interview room in a layout similar to most living rooms.”

Hurley also said the new office space on the first floor not only makes them more accessible to students, but it is also designed to meet the unique needs of students participating in the Title IX process.

The Title IX Office, located in Old Main 107, is available as a safe space for students and faculty.

Supportive measures may include counseling, extensions of time or other course-related adjustments, modifications of work or class schedules, campus escort services, mutual restrictions on contact between the parties, changes in on-campus work or housing locations, increased security and monitoring of certain areas of campus and other changes as appropriate to the individual matter.