Equity & Compliance Services
Areas of Focus | Services | Resources & Policies | Reporting Options | Title IX Coordinator | Title IX Resources | Contact Our Team
Equity & Compliance Services is dedicated to fostering ethical practices. By promoting a culture of equity and compliance, the department strives to advance ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s commitment to creating an environment that values integrity as evidenced by shared respect and responsibility.
Areas of Focus
Equity & Compliance Services’ areas of focus include
- Supporting ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s commitment to equity and compliance by embracing diversity and inclusion, and championing ethical decision-making and accountability
- Facilitating compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing higher education, industry standards and internal policies and procedures
- Collaborating with ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ departments in their effort to model ethical behavior, with the systematic maintenance and monitoring of related compliance and regulatory requirements
- Promoting an environment for all community members that is free from illegal discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct and relationship violence
Services
Our services and resources support the ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ mission and guiding principles and are available to all members of the ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ community. They include
- Working with departments to identify, resolve and mitigate equity and compliance issues, and empowering responsible individuals and units to systematically translate compliance obligations into action
- Identifying measures that allow ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ to achieve and manage institutional risk to an acceptable level
- Serving as another resource for individuals to report concerns of violation of law or university policy. This includes, but is not limited to, illegal harassment or discrimination, sexual misconduct and relationship violence.
- Assisting community members seeking information about ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s Prohibited Discrimination and Harassment Policy and/or Sexual Violence and Relationship Violence Policy
- Providing and/or coordinating nondiscrimination, sexual misconduct and relationship violence, equity and certain compliance-related trainings
Resources & Policies
University community members are expected to explore the information below to better understand ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s expectations and policies, as well as available resources related to equity and compliance services:
- Employee Code of Conduct (PDF)
- Enterprise Risk Management (PDF)
- Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment (including Sexual Harassment) Policy (PDF)
- Sexual Assault & Relationship Violence Policy (PDF)
- Policy Governing Reporting Misconduct and Whistleblowing (PDF)
- Employees are expected to be familiar with the policies posted in the J: drive. Students are expected to be familiar with the current and
- Reporting Options see next section on this webpage
- Trainings: ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ faculty and staff are expected to complete certain trainings (Prohibited Discrimination and Harassment, Emergency Management Preparedness, Written Information Security Policy, ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ101 and department-specific required trainings). Employees may access upcoming training dates and information by logging into HRpulse
Reporting Options
Any employee, student or applicant for employment or admission who is aware or believes that he or she has witnessed or has been subjected to any form of unlawful discrimination or harassment (including sexual harassment or sexual assault) may make a complaint.
How to File a Discrimination or Harassment Report
How to submit an unlawful discrimination or harassment report (choose one of the following):
- Contact ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s nondiscrimination coordinator at 401-598-2703 or Matthias Rubekeil, JD
- Contact any campus safety & security officer, human resources manager or residential life staff member (see Prohibited Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy (PDF) for names and numbers)
- Email Equity&ComplianceServices@jwu.edu
How to File a Compliance-Related Report
If you know of or suspect fraud, theft or another violation of law or university policy, please submit a report. Reports should be factual, made in good faith, and contain as much specific information as possible. Written reports are encouraged to support a clear understanding of the issues. Anonymous and oral reports are accepted.
Review ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s Policy Governing Reporting Misconduct and Whistleblowing (PDF) for more information. The Policy Governing Reporting Misconduct and Whistleblowing does not authorize an individual to conduct any investigative procedures or obtain evidence for which he or she does not have a right to access. Doing so may constitute a violation of law or university policy.
An individual who makes a good faith complaint will be protected against any form of retaliation. ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ employees may not retaliate against a whistleblower with the intent or effect of adversely impacting the terms of conditions of employment.
How to submit a compliance-related report (choose one of the following):
- Call and leave a message at 833-¸£ÀûÊÓƵ-LINE (833-598-5463), using this list of questions (18K PDF)
- Email jwureport@jwu.edu, using this list of questions (18K PDF)
- Submit an online Confidential Report, the preferred method, below:
Title IX Coordinator
Any person who is aware or believes that they have witnessed or been subjected to any form of unlawful gender discrimination or harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault and relationship violence) may make a report to the Title IX Coordinator. This individual is a trained and neutral resource, and can take your report, provide you with resources and answer questions about university policy.
- Matthias Rubekeil, JD, Title IX coordinator, Remington Building, 91 Friendship Street, 2nd Floor | 401-598-2703
Contact the Title IX Coordinator in order to:
- Seek information or training about parties’ rights and courses of action available to resolve reports or complaints that involve potential violations of applicable policies.
- Employees: Please review ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s Prohibited Discrimination and Harassment (including Sexual Harassment) Policy (350K PDF) and ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’s Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Policy (700K PDF).
- Students: Please review and .
- File a complaint or make a report of unlawful gender discrimination or harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault and relationship violence).
- Notify the university of an incident that may raise potential Title IX concerns.
- Get information about available resources (including confidential resources) and support services relating to unlawful gender discrimination or harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault and relationship violence).
Title IX
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against any person, on the basis of sex, by any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, and prohibits exclusion of any person, on the basis of sex, from participating in or being denied the benefits of any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Title IX states that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Title IX applies to institutions that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education, including state and local educational agencies.
A recipient may not retaliate against any person for opposing conduct that violates Title IX, or making charges, testifying, or participating in any complaint action under Title IX.
More about Title IX at ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ
Contact Our Team
Equity & Compliance Services develops initiatives and approaches related to its areas of focus that promote and provide support to the ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ community. Contact us if you have questions or need guidance for a specific situation.
- Sandra Lawrence, CCEP, 401-598-1423, compliance associate
- Matthias Rubekeil, JD, 401-598-2703, Title IX coordinator (also serves as nondiscrimination coordinator and section 504 coordinator)
- Piya Sarawgi, MBA, 401-598-4725, compliance communications manager
- Email: Equity&ComplianceServices@jwu.edu