Niagara University is a liberal arts university, steeped in the Vincentian and Catholic traditions, with a total enrollment of nearly 4,300 students. Located just a few miles away from one of the world's premier tourism destinations, Niagara Falls, the university occupies a lovely campus overlooking the Niagara River gorge. Its close proximity to major cultural and business centers in Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and Toronto as well as the award-winning Niagara Wine Trail and several nearby cultural destinations make Niagara University an ideal place to work and live. If you'd like to know more, be sure to check out all of the NU Facts.

JOB SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Title IX Coordinator and Civil Rights Officer, the Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Civil Rights Officer, works in close collaboration with many offices across the university including, Student Affairs, Multicultural Affairs, Academic Affairs, Campus Safety, Athletics and the Office of Human Resources, to oversee compliance efforts with regard to the university's discrimination and harassment policies and provides leadership to the university community in the areas of equal opportunity, compliance, and affirmative action. The position is responsible for campus education as well as enforcement of policies through complaint resolution, investigations, findings and recommended corrective actions or sanctions. The OEI is responsible for ensuring university compliance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, as well as other laws and rules related to sexual misconduct on campus (e.g., Violence Against Women Act, Clery Act, NYS Enough is Enough) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Prepares and disseminates educational materials, including brochures, posters, and web-based materials that inform members of the campus community of their Title IX and EEO rights and responsibilities, to the campus community
• Coordinates training for students, faculty, staff and administrators about their rights and grievance procedures; coordinates in-service training to all employees concerning the university's discrimination and harassment policies.
• Receives and processes, in a timely manner, inquiries from students, faculty, staff, and administrators regarding rights and responsibilities concerning harassing behavior or other discriminatory behavior in violation of university policies including Title IX and EEO regulations;
• Refers inquiries to other resources that are not appropriate for investigations (e.g. Student Affairs, Human Resources);
• Receives and processes, in a timely manner, complaints from students, faculty, staff, and administrators regarding rights and responsibilities concerning harassing or discriminatory behavior in violation of university policies;
• Receives and processes, in a timely manner, complaints from third parties who report a suspicion or harassing behavior or other discriminatory behavior in violation of university policies;
• Investigates alleged incidents of discrimination and/or harassment;
• Interviews complainants, respondents, and material witnesses; obtain and review documents and other relevant materials from the complainant and/or respondent;
• Issues findings of fact and recommendations for disposition of complaints and notifies all parties regarding disposition;
• Notifies complainants of their right to pursue remedies outside of the university grievance process; follows up with parties regarding the implementation of recommendations contained in disposition; seeks assistance from parties' supervisors or advisors, if necessary to implement recommendation;
• Monitors compliance with all requirements and timelines in the complaint/grievance procedure
• Remains knowledgeable of the current state and federal laws and regulations and trends in the field of education related to harassment and other discriminatory practices that violate Title IX and EEO regulations;
• Maintains confidentiality of information (including but not limited to: student and employee personal information, student grades, etc.), both during and after their employment with the university. Any questions regarding the confidentiality of material should be referred to the supervisor. Any violation shall subject the employee to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
• Serve in an on-call capacity as needed for emergency response with the Title IX Coordinator.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Experience with Title IX/EEO regulatory compliance; including an understanding of recent Title IX/EEO developments, regulatory and enforcement guidance and legislative initiatives;
• Experience conducting investigations and/or resolving complaints of discrimination and/or harassment;
• Demonstrated understanding and sensitivity toward experiences and expressions of trauma caused by sexual violence and harassment and demonstrated ability to maintain confidentially and sensitivity to privacy;
• Strong presentation skills with an emphasis on education and training for a variety of constituencies;
• Strong prioritization, analytical and organizational skills; experience with report preparation and analysis;
• Ability to think creatively, exercise independent judgment and make timely, informed decisions;
• Ability to effectively collaborate with key constituency groups and community partners;
• Excellent verbal and writing skills along with strong interpersonal and listening skills;

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS

• Master's degree in student personnel administration, criminal justice, or in a related field from an accredited higher education institution.
• Minimum of two years of experience investigating discrimination complaints, mediation and/or conflict resolution, preferably in the higher education setting.
• A valid New York State driver's license is required that satisfies both University and insurance company underwriting rules and regulations for driving a motor vehicle. Must also be able to operate a motor vehicle in Canada.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT:

This position has been identified as requiring a cell phone to fulfill job responsibilities and for other business purposes. Compliance with the University's Employee Cell Phone for Business Use Policy is required.

Niagara University affirms its commitment to equal opportunity and non-discrimination and recognizes its responsibility to provide for all employees an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, pregnancy-related condition, ex-offender status, military status, veteran status, disability or any other category protected by law.

The university also does not tolerate any actual or attempted reprisals or retaliation against an employee who raises a sincere and valid concern regarding harassment, and/or retaliation is, therefore, strictly prohibited. This statement protects and covers the conduct of all employees without regard to job title or status.