To: The Wellesley Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: Nondiscrimination and Title IX Information and Resources
Date: March 7, 2019
I am writing to introduce Janet Elie Faulkner, who joins Wellesley this week to serve as our new interim director of nondiscrimination initiatives and Title IX coordinator/504 coordinator while we search for a candidate to fill the role on a permanent basis. Janet brings deep experience in higher education, having previously served as in-house counsel for both Emerson College and Northeastern University. She established her own law firm in 2014 and has extensive experience serving as an independent investigator of Title IX and employment cases. She will be on campus on a part-time basis, sharing the Title IX office space in Schneider with our new ombuds, Kathryn Bender.
As many of you know, Sonia Jurado recently served as Wellesley’s interim director of nondiscrimination initiatives and Title IX coordinator/504 coordinator. As she moves on to a permanent position elsewhere, I would like to thank Sonia for her many contributions. I am grateful for the valuable service Sonia provided, and for her care and dedication to our community.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to remind you that important information about College policy and resources, including how to report discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct, can be found on Wellesley College’s Sexual Misconduct/Title IX website and Nondiscrimination website, which also provides information about Wellesley’s 504 disability grievance process. Anyone with immediate safety concerns is encouraged to contact Campus Police.
We also offer confidential resources on our campus. The Ombuds Office and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life are available to all members of our community, and the Stone Center and Health Service are available to students. These offices are valuable for anyone who may be processing an experience, or who is unsure where to turn with their concerns.
Please note that faculty and staff who work outside of these four confidential-resource areas have an obligation to share any information they may learn regarding discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct with Wellesley’s director of nondiscrimination initiatives and Title IX coordinator/504 coordinator. The director will typically reach out to the individual by email to provide information about support resources and to offer to meet to discuss options. In most circumstances, the individual will then have the option to decide whether or not to engage further.
Wellesley College is committed to providing a safe environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for our students, faculty, and staff. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment, which includes gender harassment, sexual assault, and sexual coercion, and we take any accusations of this conduct very seriously. We encourage you to utilize the College’s resources whenever you need them.
Please join me in welcoming Janet to Wellesley, and feel free to contact her through the online reporting form or by email at titleix@wellesley.edu.
