Last year, students established the Title IX Student Group to educate Whitworth students about the Title IX process and the resources Whitworth offers.
The group formed because many students were concerned about the number of Title IX cases occurring on Whitworth’s campus, said Reeshika Sharma, vice president of the Title IX Student Group. Sharma also said that Title IX cases are on the rise across many college campuses.
“A big part of [the group] is spreading awareness to ensure that people know that [Title IX] resources are available,” said Sharma.
Students are taught about Title IX during their first year at Whitworth, said Sharma. However, after the initial session, students are not given a refresher during their time at Whitworth except for the emails sent out by Rhosetta Rhodes. The new student group hopes to fill in the hole that is left after the Whitworth student’s first-year session.
Sharma said the Title IX Group strives to help students identify the different logistics of Title IX.
Title IX covers different forms of sexual harassment such as quid pro quo sexual harassment, hostile environment sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
According to the Whitworth University website, Whitworth offers various supportive measures for students who have experienced sexual harassment, such as counseling, academic extensions, class modifications and changes in work or housing locations.
“Last year misunderstandings about the Title IX process surfaced,” said Rhodes, vice president for student life and dean of students and Title IX coordinator. This led to the formation of the Student Group.
“I asked the students if they would like to work together to advocate for students [and] provide prevention activities and [a] better understanding of the Title IX process,” said Rhodes. “They resoundingly said, ‘yes’.”
On Oct. 26, the group sponsored a luncheon on the myths and realities of domestic violence. The luncheon was led by Jemma Riedel-Johnson, guest speaker from the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), which is dedicated to empowering women and fighting for social justice.
At this event, students had the opportunity to sign up as members of the Title IX Student Group. The group plans to have monthly meetings where students can discuss how to promote Title IX awareness at Whitworth. In addition, the group hopes to host a variety of events open to all Whitworth students that are educational and fun.
The Group is currently funded by Student Success. However, in the future, they might get connected with ASWU.
“For now, we as a team would rather have freedom and can rely on student success,” said Sharma.
The Title IX Student Group encourages students to register for their upcoming events and find resources by emailing [email protected] or following their Instagram @Wutitleixsupport.
