The Formal Grievance Process relies on a pool of trained persons to carry out the process. Members of the Pool/Team are announced in an annual distribution of this policy to all students, parents/guardians of students, employees, prospective students, and prospective employees.
a. List of Pool/Team Members
Title IX Coordinator: Tina Young
Director of Title IX and Chief Diversity Officer
John Wesleyan Holland Student Union; room 304
319-385-6361
[email protected]
https://www.iw.edu/campus-safety/
Deputy Title IX Coordinator: Kathy Moothart
Director of Human Resources
Third Floor, P.E.O. Building
319-385-6209
[email protected]
Deputy Title IX Coordinator: Richard Buffington
Director of the Criminal Justice Institute, Chair of the Science Division
Adam Trieschmann Hall of Science
319-385-6341
[email protected]
| Courtney Carl | Associate Athletic Director and Compliance Officer | [email protected] |
| Nathan Hough | Assistant Professor of Psychology | [email protected] |
| Clay Johnson | Internationals Student Advisor | [email protected] |
| Roger Kerfoot | Assistant Professor of Business | [email protected] |
| Joy Lapp | Associate Professor of Religion | [email protected] |
| Amy Mabeus | Bookstore and Mailroom Manager | [email protected] |
| Kathy Schmidt | Assistant Professor of Education | [email protected] |
| Carmen Wycoff | Associate Professor of Nursing | [email protected] |
b. Pool/Team Member Roles
Members of the Pool are trained annually, and can serve in in the following roles, at the direction of the Title IX Coordinator:
- To provide appropriate intake of and initial guidance pertaining to complaints
- To act as an Advisor to the parties
- To serve in a facilitation role in Informal Resolution or Alternative Resolution if appropriately trained in the resolution practice
- To perform or assist with initial assessment
- To investigate complaints
- To serve as a Hearing Facilitator (process administrator, no decision-making role)
- To serve as a Hearing Panel member regarding the complaint
- To serve as an Appeal Decision-maker
c. Pool/Team Member Appointment
The Title IX Coordinator, in consultation with the University President, appoints the Pool/Team, which acts with independence and impartiality. Pool/Team members are usually appointed to three-year terms. Individuals who are interested in serving in the Pool are encouraged to contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Although members of the Pool/Team are typically trained in a variety of skill sets and can rotate amongst the different roles listed above in different cases, the University can also designate permanent roles for individuals in the Pool, using others as substitutes or to provide greater depth of experience when necessary. This process of role assignment may be the result of particular skills, aptitudes, or talents identified in members of the Pool that make them best suited to particular roles.
d. Pool/Team Member Training
The Pool members receive annual training. This training includes, but is not limited to:
- The scope of the Iowa Wesleyan University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures
- How to conduct investigations and hearings that protect the safety of Complainants and Respondents, and promote accountability
- Implicit bias
- Disparate treatment and impact
- Reporting, confidentiality, and privacy requirements
- Applicable laws, regulations, and federal regulatory guidance
- How to implement appropriate and situation-specific remedies
- How to investigate in a thorough, reliable, timely, and impartial manner by individuals who receive annual training in conducting investigations of sexual harassment, trauma-informed practices and impartiality
- How to uphold fairness, equity, and due process
- How to weigh evidence
- How to conduct questioning
- How to assess credibility
- Impartiality and objectivity
- How to render findings and generate clear, concise, evidence-based rationales
- The definitions of all offenses
- How to apply definitions used by the University with respect to consent (or the absence or negation of consent) consistently, impartially, and in accordance with policy
- How to conduct an investigation and grievance process including hearings, appeals, and informal resolution processes
- How to serve impartially by avoiding prejudgment of the facts at issue, conflicts of interest, and bias against Respondents and/or for Complainants, and on the basis of sex, race, religion, and other protected characteristics
- Any technology to be used at a live hearing
- Issues of relevance of questions and evidence
- Issues of relevance to create an investigation report that fairly summarizes relevant evidence
- How to determine appropriate sanctions in reference to all forms of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation allegations
- Record keeping
Specific training is also provided for Appeal Decision-makers, intake personnel, Advisors (who are Iowa Wesleyan University employees), and Hearing Panel Chairs and members. All Pool/Team members are required to attend these trainings annually. The materials used to train members of the Pool are publicly posted here: https://www.iw.edu/campus-safety/.
Formal Grievance Process: Notice of Investigation and Allegations
The Title IX Coordinator, or designee will provide written notice of the investigation and allegations (the “NOIA”) to the Respondent upon commencement of the Formal Grievance Process. This facilitates the Respondent’s ability to prepare for the interview and to identify and choose an Advisor to accompany them. The NOIA is also copied to the Complainant, who will be given advance notice of when the NOIA will be delivered to the Respondent. The NOIA will include:
- A meaningful summary of all of allegations,
- The identity of the involved parties (if known),
- The precise misconduct being alleged,
- The date and location of the alleged incident(s) (if known),
- The specific policies implicated,
- A description of the applicable procedures,
- A statement of the potential sanctions/responsive actions that could result,
- A statement that the University presumes the Respondent is not responsible for the reported misconduct unless and until the evidence supports a different determination,
- A statement that determinations of responsibility are made at the conclusion of the process and that the parties will be given an opportunity to inspect and review all directly related and/or relevant evidence obtained during the review and comment period,
- A statement about the University’s policy on retaliation,
- Information about the confidentiality of the process,
- Information on the need for each party to have an Advisor of their choosing and suggestions for ways to identify an Advisor,
- A statement informing the parties that the University’s Policy prohibits knowingly making false statements, including knowingly submitting false information during the resolution process,
- Detail on how the party may request disability accommodations during the interview process,
- A link to the University’s VAWA Brochure,
- The name(s) of the Investigator(s), along with a process to identify to the Title IX Coordinator, in advance of the interview process, to the Title IX Coordinator any conflict of interest that the Investigator(s) may have, and
- Instruction to preserve any evidence that is directly related to the allegations.
Amendments and updates to the NOIA may be made as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available regarding the addition or dismissal of various allegations.
Notice will be made in writing and may be delivered by one or more of the following methods: in person or emailed to the parties’ University-issued email or designated accounts. Once emailed and/or received in-person, notice will be presumptively delivered.