Changes to the ways in which MU and the UM System handle Title IX and sexual assault cases are underway in wake of [new allegations of Title IX violations at MU](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2014/8/21/espn-report-mu-violated-title-ix/).
In his statement on Aug. 21, Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin pointed to a number of “sweeping changes” he and UM System President Tim Wolfe have implemented since his taking office in February, such as [Executive Order 40](http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/rules/collected_rules/personnel/ch330/330.062_title_ix_policy_procedures), which Wolfe issued in April.
The executive order designates all university employees with knowledge of sexual harassment against a student as “mandated reporters.”
Only health care workers and counselors are exempt from the mandatory reporting policy.
Information required of mandatory reporters depend on his or her employment status. Supervisors must report all known details, including names of parties if disclosed. Non-supervisory employees must report circumstances of the situation, but the initial report does not need to disclose names or other identifying information.
Mandated reporters must promptly report information to the appropriate Title IX coordinator. System-wide issues are reported to Betsy Rodriguez, UM System vice president of human resources, and issues in MU are reported to Interim Title IX Coordinator Linda Bennett.
“Our goal is to make this process as effective as possible,” UM System spokesman John Fougere said. “If an employee learns of an alleged sexual assault in which the alleged victim is a student, that employee now has the responsibility to report that directly to the Title IX coordinator, who will handle it from there.”
Fougere said a new training program is being developed to teach mandated reporters what their responsibilities are under the president’s Title IX executive order.
“Our first priority is to train the first responders, such as Title IX coordinators and others that handle investigations,” Fougere said.
Fougere said an online program will be released in the coming months to train faculty and staff to be mandated reporters.
Loftin said in his statement that a full-time Title IX investigator has been hired, but MU spokesman Christian Basi was unavailable to elaborate on who was hired for the position.
MU is also reviewing how the Office of Student Conduct addresses sexual assault cases and will potentially create an independent committee to handle such cases.
Basi said in an email that while some changes have been made already, others will be completed over time based on priority.
“Our number-one priority at MU is safety, so anything that enhances safety has priority,” Basi said in the email.
Fougere said that Title IX issues are a very important initiative to Wolfe.
“We are in a constant mode of assessing our resources and how we address these difficult issues, and looking at ways to get better,” Fougere said. “Our goal is to have other universities across the country look at the (UM System) as the national exemplar of best practices when it comes to Title IX policy.”
