As it relates to Title IX,  training and communication are key to not only helping prevent sexual violence on campus, but also to helping an institution appropriately respond to a complaint of sexual assault and/or to maneuver through a Title IX investigation.

Here are 3 Tips on how to provide comprehensive training and resources for Title IX reporting on your campus.

1) Make sure “responsible employees” know that they are deemed as such and understand their responsibilities.

As defined by the Title IX statute, a “responsible employee” is any employee who (1) has the authority to take action to redress sexual harassment/misconduct; (2) has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual harassment/misconduct or any other misconduct by students to the Title IX coordinator or other appropriate designee; and/or (3) a student reasonably believes has this authority or duty.

Many employees simply don’t know that they are responsible for reporting sexual misconduct.   Therefore, institutions need to be deliberate in their training and communication, particularly with faculty, as they have the most interaction with students, and students are the primary victims of sexual assault and sexual misconduct on campus.

2) Focus on the“what to do.

Many Title IX training events focus only on the facts and figures and definitions of Title IX.  Therefore, Title IX training’s are often missing the what to do piece for those responsible for reporting misconduct.  It’s not every day that employees encounter Title IX issues, so they are not necessarily well-versed in the reporting procedures.

A best practice is to provide all “responsible employees” with talking points, a reporting process flow chart and/or other helpful information they can quickly and easily access in the event that they become aware of an alleged action that warrants reporting. It’s also important that staff and faculty understand the need to provide interim measures to victims of alleged sexual assault as a means of ensuring their safety.

3) Practice ongoing communication, and make it easy for individuals to find information.

All employees who are responsible for reporting alleged sexual misconduct or harassment should receive regular communications outlining updates and changes to Title IX policies and procedures.   In short, institutions need to be proactive in evaluating their communication plans and related Title IX training to ensure that all employees are well-versed in their responsibilities.  A comprehensive Title IX training and communication program will help ensure that your institution’s ‘responsible employees’ are doing just that … being responsible.