The University of California recently announced their new system-wide Title IX coordinator, Kathleen Salvaty. Salvaty will now be working closely with UC President Janet Napolitano as she works with chancellors and other coordinators across the UC system to ensure safety and equality for all students.
As a former Title IX coordinator at UCLA, Salvaty has extensive knowledge of the requirements of the position, as well as the issues that she will be dealing with in relation to her new role. In addition to her prior experience as a coordinator, Salvaty also worked on public interest and civil action cases as a litigator in New York and California for 15 years. She graduated with a degree in English and received her Juris Doctor degree from University of Chicago Law School.
In her new role as system-wide Title IX coordinator, Salvaty will be responsible for ensuring the efficiency and equality in which schools and Title IX offices execute investigations into sexual misconduct. Salvaty will also guarantee that students, staff and faculty adhere to the policies instituted by the UC in order to ensure “that each member of our UC community feels safe and respected,” per a statement provided by Napolitano. Moreover, Napolitano said Salvaty’s role is focused on the implementation of the UC’s “recently overhauled policies to prevent, adjudicate and sanction sexual misconduct.”
UC spokesperson Claire Doan said the UC felt that hiring a system-wide coordinator was necessary in order to create unity across the UC. Doan stated, “The key aspect of this new role is that it’s system-wide, which enhances coordination and consistency across our campuses, labs and medical centers. Kathleen’s overview of what’s happening at each of those places and collaboration with local Title IX officers will allow UC to continue to strengthen our policies from a unified and informed perspective.”
The UC began reforming their policies concerning sexual harassment following a string of accusations of sexual harassment and sexual violence at multiple UC campuses, most prominent are the allegations of staff sexual misconduct at Berkeley in 2015 and 2016. Doan elaborated on Salvaty’s role in carrying out the reforms in the UC’s sexual assault policies, saying, “We have strong policies and practices — in education, prevention, and enforcement — and Kathleen will make sure that they are consistently implemented. As President Napolitano likes to say, we need to make sure this culture change gets all the way to the fingertips of the university.”
UCR second-year student Annel Lopez feels that now more than ever it is important to have a system-wide coordinator “who is willing to put into practice and enforce Title IX” in light of the election of Donald Trump and his promises to repeal some policies that uphold gender equality. She continued on to say, “I definitely think right now it’s necessary to hire someone for the UC schools. One thing kids our age are afraid of is the fact that the next person that is going to take over the U.S. is claiming to ‘make America great again.’ However, what he entails is a story of the past. He’s already planned to reverse progressive ideas that have helped girls and boys of every nationality to pursue what they want.”
UCR students who encounter domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault or stalking are encouraged to immediately contact the UCR CARE advocate and Title IX office.
For more information about the Title IX office at UCR and school policies click the link here.
