Seldom in history has more attention been paid to the issue of sexual misconduct on the nation’s campuses—by media, government officials and universities themselves.
Case Western Reserve University has adapted its policies to align with federal guidelines. It has expanded education and training. And, effective July 13, the university will have an administrator dedicated solely to these issues: Darnell T. Parker, who will be associate vice president for student affairs/Title IX coordinator.
Parker, assistant dean of students and director of multicultural affairs at Washington College in Maryland, emerged as the top choice for the position after a nationwide search and rigorous rounds of interviews.
“We needed someone for this position who possessed detailed knowledge of policies and processes, along with the vision and strategic perspective required to go beyond basic compliance operations,” said Lou Stark, vice president for student affairs, where the position will reside. “In Darnell we found an impressive range of experience and record of accomplishment, as well as significant leadership skills.”
Title IX is the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on gender in education programs or activities that receive federal funds. As part of the law, every affected institution must appoint an individual to ensure that it complies with the law and associated regulations and guidelines that the U.S. Department of Education provides.
In recent years, the department has recommended revisions to existing campus policies, and members of Congress have pressed for increased funding for federal investigators as well as increased accountability for individual institutions. These developments have prompted universities nationwide to assess their approach and staffing with regard to Title IX. Some, like Case Western Reserve and Harvard, have moved to make the coordinator’s role full time, rather than part of a larger job description.
“The legal, regulatory and societal landscape is evolving at an extremely rapid pace,” said University General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Administration Elizabeth Keefer. “I commend Lou and his team for recognizing the need to respond to current and upcoming developments in a strong and proactive way.”
Parker has worked at Washington College since 2006, when he became the school’s director of multicultural affairs. During his tenure he also served as interim director of student activities and then as interim director of residence life—while also continuing in his leadership role in multicultural affairs.
Meanwhile, in his role as director of multicultural affairs, he developed a Bias-Related/Hate Crime Reporting and Response Protocol, as well as a Safe Space Program to increase faculty, staff and student awareness regarding issues affecting the LGBT campus community. He also advanced to the position of Title IX Coordinator, where he updated policies, conducted broad training sessions and led and supervised investigations.
In these activities and many others, Parker collaborated with campus offices of public safety and human resources, as well as its diversity committee. In addition, he has served as a lecturer in education since 2009, leading seminars on race and gender in global education and race and ethnic relations.
Parker earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at Syracuse University. He is pursuing a doctorate in higher education at Widener University, with his degree expected next year.
Parker emphasized the importance of engaging widely with the campus community as part of all activities connected with Title IX. The more that people have an opportunity to participate in the development of programs and approaches, he noted, the better the programs ultimately will be. Even better, people will be more likely to support initiatives that they play a role in creating.
“I am eager to begin work at Case Western Reserve, and my first steps will involve a great deal of listening and learning,” Parker said. “I was impressed with the expertise and commitment of everyone I met during the interview process, and look forward to helping make Case Western Reserve a better university for everyone on this campus.”