Non-discrimination and Title IX Policy and Procedures

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William James College adheres to all federal, state, and local civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment in employment and education. William James College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student, or applicant for admission on the basis of actual or perceived:

• Age (40 years and over in the employment context)
• Color
• Creed
• Disability (physical or mental)
• Domestic violence victim status
• Ethnicity
• Gender expression
• Gender identity
• Genetic information (including family medical history)
• National origin (including ancestry)
• Pregnancy or related conditions
• Race
• Religion
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Veteran or military status (including disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, active-duty, wartime, or campaign badge veteran, and Armed Forces Service Medal veteran)
• or any other protected characteristic under applicable local, state, or federal law, including protections for those opposing discrimination or participating in any grievance process within William James College, with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and/or any other human/civil rights agency.

This Policy covers nondiscrimination in both employment and access to educational opportunities. Therefore, any member of the William James College community whose acts deny, deprive, unreasonably interfere with or limit the education or employment, and/or social access, benefits, and/or opportunities of any member of the William James College community, guest, or visitor on the basis of that person’s actual or perceived protected characteristic(s), is in violation of this Policy.

William James College also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or harassment or participating in any internal or external investigation or complaint process related to allegations of discrimination including sex discrimination.

For more information please contact the NON-CONFIDENTIAL Administrators below:

Sandy Tente (she/her/hers)
Director of Talent, Training and Culture
William James College, 1 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777, x1182
sandy_tente@williamjames.edu

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Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. To ensure compliance with Title IX and other federal and state laws, William James College has developed policies that prohibit discrimination and misconduct on the basis of gender, such as sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, stalking and any other gender-based harassment or misconduct. Please see the Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Non-discrimination Policy and Resolution Process (Including Title IX).

For more information please contact the NON-CONFIDENTIAL Administrators below:

Sandy Tente (she/her/hers)
Director of Talent, Training and Culture
William James College, 1 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777, x1182
sandy_tente@williamjames.edu

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To enable Complainants to access support and resources without filing a Complaint, William James College has designated specific employees as Confidential Employees. Those designated by William James College as Confidential Employees are not required to report actual or suspected discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in a way that identifies the Parties. They will, however, provide the Complainant with the Title IX Coordinator’s contact information and offer options and resources without any obligation to inform an outside agency or a William James College official unless a Complainant has requested the information be shared.

There are three categories of Confidential Employees: 1) Those with confidentiality bestowed by law or professional ethics, such as lawyers, medical professionals, clergy, and counselors; 2) Those whom William James College has specifically designated as confidential for purposes of providing support and resources to the Complainant; and 3) Those conducting human subjects research as part of a study approved by William James College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). For those in category 1), above, to be able to respect confidentiality, they must be in a confidential relationship with the person reporting, such that they are within the scope of their licensure, professional ethics, or confidential role at the time of receiving the Notice. These individuals will maintain confidentiality except in extreme cases of immediacy of threat or danger or abuse of a minor, elder, or individual with a disability, or when required to disclose by law or court order. Unless otherwise designated, William James College faculty members and staff who are mental health counselors and/or medical professionals are not Confidential Employees when acting in their capacities as William James College faculty and staff.

If a Complainant would like the details of an incident to be kept confidential, the Complainant may speak with the following Confidential Employee(s):

Sheldon G. Aaron
Assistant Professor, Counseling and Behavioral Health Department
sheldon_aaron@williamjames.edu

Joan Axelrod
Director of the Academic Resource Center
joan_axelrod@williamjames.edu

Dr. Robyn Bratica
Associate Professor, School Psychology Department
Director, MA/CAGS in School Psychology
robyn_​bratica@williamjames.edu

Dr. Matthew Carper
Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology Department
Associate Director, Center for Psychological Science
Consulting Psychologist, Youth and Family Psychotherapy Services
matthew_carper@williamjames.edu

Ellen Collins
Associate Director of Payroll and Benefits
ellen_collins@williamjames.edu

Amanda Omalek
Department Coordinator
Organizational and Leadership Psychology Department
amanda_omalek@williamjames.edu

Dr. Marta Pagan-Ortiz
Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology Department
marta_paganortiz@williamjames.edu

Dr. Susan Powell
Professor, Counseling and Behavioral Health Department
susan_powell@williamjames.edu

Additional confidential employees will be appointed and their names will be included on this webpage.

All William James College faculty and employees (including student-employees), other than those deemed Confidential Employees, are Mandated Reporters and are expected to promptly report all known details of actual or suspected discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation to appropriate officials immediately:

Employee Reports

Sandy Tente (she/her/hers)
Director of Talent, Training and Culture
William James College, 1 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777, x1182
sandy_tente@williamjames.edu

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• Licensed professional counselors and other medical providers who are not employed by William James College.
• Local rape crisis or domestic violence counselors such as the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). For assistance 24 hours a day, you may contact the BARCC hotline at800-841-8371.
• Domestic violence resources such as Casa Myrna Vasquez. For assistance 24 hours a day, you may contact the SafeLink hotline, a Massachusetts statewide toll-free domestic violence hotline, at877-785-2020.
• Some local or state assistance agencies – ask about confidentiality before speaking with them
• Clergy/Chaplains
• Attorneys

For Employees Only

William James College also offers an Employee Assistance Program through UNUM. This service is provided at no cost to employees who work at least 24 hours a week. Employees may call and speak confidentially to a master’s level consultant to help you or a family member to locate child or elder care, speak with financial experts, help with personal or work issues, help with depression or grief, issues surrounding substance abuse, and much more.

Toll-free, 24-hour access

• 800-854-1446: English
• 877-858-2147: Spanish
• 800-999-3004 TTY/TOD

Online access: www.lifebalance.net; user ID and password: lifebalance

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William James College will offer and implement appropriate and reasonable supportive measures to the Parties upon Notice of alleged discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. Supportive measures are non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized services offered as appropriate and reasonably available. They are offered, without fee or charge to the Parties, to restore or preserve access to William James College’s education program or activity, including measures designed to protect the safety of all Parties and/or William James College’s educational environment and/or to deter discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation.

The Administrator promptly makes supportive measures available to the Parties upon receiving Notice/Knowledge or a Complaint. At the time that supportive measures are offered, if a Complaint has not been filed, William James College will inform the Complainant, in writing, that they may file a Complaint with William James College either at that time or in the future. The Administrator will work with a party to ensure that their wishes are considered with respect to any planned and implemented supportive measures.

William James College will maintain the confidentiality of the supportive measures, provided that confidentiality does not impair William James College’s ability to provide those supportive measures. William James College will act to ensure as minimal an academic/occupational impact on the Parties as possible. William James College will implement measures in a way that does not unreasonably burden any party.

These actions may include, but are not limited to:

• Referral to counseling, medical, and/or other healthcare services
• Referral to the Employee Assistance Program
• Referral to community-based service providers
• Referral for visa and immigration assistance
• Student financial aid counseling
• Education to the institutional community or community subgroup(s)
• Altering work arrangements for employees or student-employees
• Safety planning
• Transportation assistance
• Implementing contact limitations (no contact orders) between the Parties
• Academic support, extensions of deadlines, or other course/program-related adjustments
• Trespass, Persona Non Grata (PNG), or Be-On-the-Lookout (BOLO) orders
• Timely warnings
• Class schedule modifications, withdrawals, or leaves of absence
• Any other actions deemed appropriate by the Administrator(s)

Violations of no contact orders or other restrictions may be referred to appropriate student or employee conduct processes for enforcement or added as collateral misconduct allegations to an ongoing Complaint under this Policy.

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Non-Discrimination and Title IX inquiries may be referred to:

Sandy Tente (she/her/hers)
Director of Talent, Training and Culture
William James College, 1 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777, x1182
sandy_tente@williamjames.edu

Parties may submit reports of discrimination and Title IX misconduct through the online reporting form.

For those who wish to remain anonymous, anonymous reports may be made online using the same form, theonline reporting form. Anonymous reporting, however, may impact the College’s ability to respond or pursue appropriate action against the alleged perpetrators. Anonymous reports may limit the College’s ability to follow-up since the identity of the reporter is not known.

Confidentiality and Privacy in Reporting

The university will make every effort to maintain the privacy of those involved in discrimination and Title IX complaints and related processes. Only people who have a legitimate need to know about the matter will be informed, and materials and information prepared or acquired under Title IX procedures will be shared only as required and/or necessary with investigators, witnesses and other relevant parties.

Disclosure of such information also may be made if the university’s Title IX coordinator determines that such disclosure is necessary to protect the health, safety or well-being of the community. While the university’s Title IX coordinator will take into account any requests made by a party for confidentiality or that a Title IX matter not be investigated, the university’s Title IX coordinator will take appropriate steps to respond to the matter consistent with requirements of Title IX and the college’s obligation to the greater WJC community.

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND TITLE IX POLICY AND PROCEDURES

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Please see Part II of the Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Non-discrimination Policy and Resolution Process (Including Title IX).

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The William James College Inclusive Excellence Committee is responsible for consulting with the Director of Talent, Equity and Culture. This involves an ongoing holistic review of bias, discrimination and Title IX trends on campus. Members of the Inclusive Excellence Committee are not confidential employees as outlined in the Non-Discrimination and Title IX Policy. The Committee works closely with administrators, students, faculty, staff, centers, committees, organizations and others. The Inclusive Excellence Committee plays an educational role in fostering a welcoming campus climate and is comprised of faculty, administrators and staff from various campus departments and offices. The Inclusive Excellence Committee will make recommendations—to administrators, governance bodies, organizations, or other groups—as to how to best foster a welcoming campus climate characterized by civility and mutual respect.

Policy Dissemination and Training

A copy of this policy will be made available to faculty and employees in annually required training and posted on the William James College website. William James College will educate all new students about this policy.

barcc.org

Founded in 1973, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) is the only comprehensive rape crisis center in the Greater Boston area and the oldest and largest center of its kind in New England. Our mission is to end sexual violence through healing, empowerment, and social change.

With support from our community, BARCC provides free, confidential services to survivors of sexual violence ages 12 and up and their families and friends. We work with survivors of all genders and all backgrounds, with the goal of empowering survivors to heal and seek justice in ways that are meaningful to them. We meet the needs of survivors in crisis and long after, and we also assist them as they navigate the health-care, criminal legal, social service, and school systems.

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casamyrna.org

Casa Myrna is Boston’s largest provider of domestic violence awareness efforts and of shelter and supportive services to survivors. Our comprehensive range of services, available in both Spanish and English, provide survivors with tools to recover from the trauma of abuse and begin to build sustainable self-sufficiency.

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This guide explains the Recipient resources and options available to individuals impacted by sex-based harassment including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Brochure

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Materials will be added here as trainings occur.

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4 C.F.R. § 106.45(b)(10) requires William James College to publish any materials used for training Title IX coordinators, investigators, decision-makers and persons who facilitate informal resolutions on the university’s website. In compliance with the law, materials will be added here as trainings occur.

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William James College is committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning and working environment for all. The College considers acts of bias unacceptable and antithetical to its commitment to a thriving campus community.

We take all reports of possible bias very seriously and encourage discussion on issues of bias to further educate and support our campus community. We strive to be responsive to those who feel hurt or targeted, while also offering a process that is fair and respectful to all involved. We understand and respect that a healing process can take time and that building and supporting our community requires commitment from all of us to ensure that every member has meaningful opportunities for robust academic, personal, and professional development experiences.

The reality is that bias incidents can occur anywhere in our community. Bias incidents can occur in classrooms, at co-curricular activities, in employment situations, and at off-campus college-related activities such as field placement sites. Acts of bias isolate individuals and groups, erode community, and can create an unwelcoming and unsafe environment for learning and working. The Equal Opportunity, Harrassment, and Non-Discrimination Policy and Resolution Process, and student handbooks will help assess whether a behavior, event or action may be bias-related, ensure that appropriate policies, procedures and protocols are applied, help the college take a timely and comprehensive approach to addressing incidents, and aid in communication with the college community about incident-related concerns. Our goal is to use the educational and training process to improve our efforts to achieve a more respectful and welcoming climate within our community.

A bias incident is any event, behavior or act—verbal, written or physical— of intolerance or prejudice. A bias incident may or may not involve threatened or actual violence or other criminal conduct such as a hate crime. Bias incidents reflect an intentional act or disregard for the impact of one’s conduct that threatens, offends, or stigmatizes an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics including race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or physical or mental disability. Examples of bias incidents include hate speech, identity bashing, racist epithets, religious slurs, sexist jokes or cartoons, hate mail, offensive graffiti, or prejudiced remarks. Bias incidents may occur in person, though written materials, or through electronic media such as e-mail and social media. Bias incidents create a socially divisive atmosphere and negatively affect the campus climate.

Bias generally refers to any belief, attitude, behavior or practice that reflects an assumed superiority of one group over another. Bias is reflected in prejudices or discrimination and can be either overt or covert, intentional or accidental. Bias can be directed against individuals or groups, and it can be institutionalized into policies, practices and structures. Freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas are a vital part of educational discourse and personal/professional development, but acts of bias dehumanize people, undermine a sense of community, erode individual rights and/or the rights of groups, debilitate morale, and interfere with the effectiveness of learning and working environments.

You or someone you know may experience an event or situation that is reasonably experienced as intimidating, disrespectful, dehumanizing, stigmatizing, or hurtful. While bias incidents sometimes target specific individuals, they often offends an entire group or community. When a bias incident does target specific individuals because of their race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristic, even those persons not directly targeted may feel at risk. Bias incidents create tensions and schisms within our community and may give rise to hostilities and acrimony between individuals or among groups. Reporting bias incidents requires the broad and active participation of a community committed to supporting a robustly respectful community moral code.

Training

Interrupting Microaggressions Workshop

This workshop provides an overview of microaggressions and situates them within our socio-historical context. Participants will receive tools to address microaggressions and lay the foundation to create more inclusive spaces.

Unconscious Bias – Moving from Words to Action

This interactive workshop explores the biased brain, how decision-making processes can be biased, and how to alter your biases. Participants will examine their own background and identities to interact more authentically with colleagues, clients, and the community at large, explore how the brain functions to recognize unconscious bias as a natural function of the human mind, and expose patterns of unconscious bias to to navigate their impact on our decision-making processes.

SUBMIT A BIAS INCIDENT REPORT

For more information please contact the NON-CONFIDENTIAL Administrators below:

Sandy Tente (she/her/hers)
Director of Talent, Training and Culture
William James College, 1 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777, x1182
sandy_tente@williamjames.edu