Alumna to join BGSU as Title IX officer

The University has hired an experienced administrator with a background in Title IX and student affairs to serve in the new position of assistant vice president for student affairs/Title IX officer. Jennifer McCary will join BGSU in January, Dr. Thomas Gibson, vice president for student affairs and vice provost, announced Sept. 8.

A 2008 BGSU graduate in College Student Personnel who also received her undergraduate degree from the University, McCary currently serves as associate dean for violence prevention and resolution, Title IX coordinator and director of the Women’s Center in the Dean of Students office at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.  “Ms. McCary is a nationally recognized expert in Title IX and sexual assault prevention and education and will be a tremendous asset to BGSU as we elevate our efforts in this important area. We are so pleased she will be joining us.”

The Division of Student Affairs now has responsibility for Title IX compliance following a reorganization last fall. To further improve the University’s processes and services related to Title IX, one of the recommendations of the Task Force on Sexual Assault was to hire a Title IX coordinator to provide leadership, in partnership with key University collaborators, for coordinating and guiding efforts to promote University-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives.

At Gettysburg, McCary is responsible for coordinating and implementing the college’s Title IX compliance efforts and overseeing its sexual assault prevention, education and adjudication efforts. She has experience in writing, monitoring and enforcing policies on sexual misconduct and relationship violence for students, faculty and staff, and leads and implements campus-wide training, education and outreach efforts related to Title IX, bystander intervention, sexual misconduct, relationship violence and stalking. She also oversees deputy Title IX coordinators.

“Over the past year, we have sharpened our focus on making the University a safe and welcoming place for our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Gibson said. “We are improving our processes and policies, have reorganized some of our administrative structures, and continue to make progress toward our goal of making diversity and inclusion part of the fabric of our institutional culture.”

President Mary Ellen Mazey noted, “Ms. McCary is a nationally recognized expert in Title IX and sexual assault prevention and education and will be a tremendous asset to BGSU as we elevate our efforts in this important area. We are so pleased she will be joining us.”

In addition, Gibson said, “I want to express my thanks to Faith DeNardo for her solid leadership during the interim. We have already begun making progress toward the implementation of our initiatives.”