EAST LANSING – A newly created arm of Michigan State University will oversee the Office of Institutional Equity, which investigates civil rights and Title IX complaints.

The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance will be led by Jessica Norris, who is currently MSU’s Title IX director, and will coordinate with other university entities that provide crisis and advocacy services to sexual assault and relationship violence victims, according to a university release.

The university will soon post job openings for 12 new positions in the newly created office to focus on prevention, outreach and education efforts on campus.

MSU interim President John Engler announced the new office on the heels of a preliminary report from Husch Blackwell, a firm contracted to review the university’s Title IX procedures.

That report found “significant misunderstandings and misinformation about (Title IX) policies and procedures.”

The preliminary report also cited confusion about the Title IX office’s leadership structure and that the campus community might not be aware of resources and services available, among other findings.