SGA gathers thoughts on Title IX ahead of state-wide student government conference
SGA vice president Lyndi Rose listens to members of the special events committee in the Bovee University Center, Monday, Nov. 4.
Central Michigan University Student Government Association Vice President Lyndi Rose gathered thoughts from its members at its Nov. 4 meeting regarding how they would like CMU to approach Title IX, particularly in light of changes proposed in recent years by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Title IX is a law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program that receives federal funding, such as a public university.
DeVos’ proposed changes would make it more difficult for universities to investigate incidents of sexual assault that occur off-campus, and support the right of the accused to publicly cross-examine their accuser.
“Not only is that hurtful and petrifying for the victim, but it makes it so it’s harder for victims to come forward and also crosses the boundaries of university jurisdiction and legal jurisdiction,” said Rose, one of three student representatives on the Presidential Title IX Advisory Board.
SGA meetings take place 7 p.m. every Monday in Bovee University Center Auditorium and are free for all students to attend.
SGA senators supported the idea of a button being added to CMU’s website, similar to a button that exists on the homepage of Michigan State University, which would centralize its Title IX and sexual assault resources including Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates and the Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity.
This Saturday, Nov. 9 at Saginaw Valley State University, Rose will co-lead a session dedicated to Title IX at United Student Government Conference, a state-wide assembly of student government leaders at public universities established by Rose and president Jake Hendricks last year.
At the session, student leaders will learn about Title IX and collaborate to draft a resolution with general language that each student government association will be able to tailor to their school’s specific needs. Rose said that depending on how the session goes, she anticipates that a CMU-specific version of the resolution would be presented to SGA “within the next few weeks.”
