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The Weekly Snapshot
Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the NCCPS.
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| Download the full guide (PDF) by clicking above |
Office of Civil Rights, US Department of Education Releases New Title IX Coordinators Guidance
On Friday, April 24, 2015, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), US Department of Education (ED), released three new guidance documents for Title IX coordinators. The documents apply to all school districts (K-12), colleges, and universities receiving Federal financial assistance, and are inclusive of all previously released guidance documents from ED and OCR.
The first document, Dear Colleague Letter: Title IX Coordinators (PDF), is directed to leaders of institutions of higher education and school districts reminding them of their required responsibility to hire or designate a Title IX coordinator. In addition, Catherine E. Lhamon, Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights, emphasizes that "to be effective, a Title IX coordinator must have the full support of your institution. It is therefore critical that all institutions provide their Title IX coordinators with the appropriate authority and support necessary for them to carry out their duties and use their expertise to help their institutions comply with Title IX." In addition, this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) addresses:
- Factors that should be considered when designating a Title IX coordinator
- Title IX coordinator's responsibilities and authorities
- Title IX coordinator's visibility within the school community and appropriate training
Document two, Letter to Title IX Coordinators (PDF), is a direct thank you to current Title IX coordinators for their dedication and hard work. The letter explains the previous DCL, the accompanying resource guide, the importance of having full support from your school or institution, and additional technical support information.
The Title IX Resource Guide (PDF) provides a variety of information for Title IX coordinators including:
- The scope of Title IX
- Responsibilities and authority of a Title IX coordinator
- Administrative requirements
- Application of Title IX to various issues
- Collection and reporting of information
The latest OCR guidance release coincides with Sexual Assault Awareness Month and follows a pattern of information and guidance releases in the month of April over the past several years. As of April 22, 2015, there are 118 Title IX sexual violence cases under investigation at 108 postsecondary institutions. In addition, more than 30 K-12 school districts have open Title IX sexual violence investigations pending.
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| Download the brochure (PDF) by clicking above |
We Regret To Inform You: Providing Sensitive Death Notifications with Professionalism, Dignity, and Compassion
While making a death notification can be a stressful and difficult experience, there are methods to ensure the notification is provided to family members with professionalism, dignity, and compassion. "How a person receives the death notification actually will change how they process the death," said Rebecca Bywater, director of Threat Assessment and Community Education at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). "If they're given an insensitive or misinformed death notification, a lot of times they'll have a more difficult time. By providing the proper resources and creating best practices, we can help victims' families better cope with the situation."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Penn State developed a no-cost, online training module for campus safety officers, law enforcement officers, victim advocates, chaplains, medical examiners, hospital personnel and anyone else who may have to deliver a death notification. The We Regret to Inform You training curriculum is built around a four-step process: plan, prepare, deliver, and follow-up. The 45-minute module includes instructional videos that demonstrate the use of best practices when making death notifications and covers the following topics:
- In Person Notification
- Remote Notification
- Mass Casualty Incidents
- Social Media
- Children
- Persons with Disabilities
- Elderly
- Language Barriers
- Deceased Suspects
- International Considerations
- Cultural Considerations
- Victim Assistance
- National Resources
At the end of the module, participants may download a pocket guide with a script for delivering a notification, a handout listing common reactions to trauma, and a
template that your agency can customize to list the names and contact information for local resources and services. A brief assessment concludes the course, and a certificate of completion will be generated.
Questions about the training may be directed to
deathnotification@leo.gov.
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Professional Development Opportunities
Title: Designing Safe Schools: Planning and Retrofitting for Safety in Educational Facilities
Host: Education Facilities Clearinghouse (EFC)
Date: April 30, 2015 at 1:30 PM EDT
Location: Online
Fee:
Free
Information and Registration
Title: Victim Assistance Training
Host: National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
Date: May 14, 2015 (Registration Deadline May 7th)
Location: Franklin, MA
Fee: Free
Information and Registration
Title: Managing Critical Incidents for Higher Education Institutions: A Multi-Disciplinary Community Approach (MGT-361)
Host: Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
Supported By: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) / Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Fee: Free
Information and Registration
- May 18-20, 2015: Morgantown, WV
- June 9-11, 2015: Washington, DC
- June 16-18, 2015: Ewing, NJ
- July 14-16, 2015: Kearney, NE
- August 4-6, 2015: Merced, CA
- October 7-9, 2015: Richmond, VA
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This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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