University of Mount Union
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Non-Discrimination Statement
The University of Mount Union prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability, or genetic information, in student admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or employment as now, or may hereafter be, required by university policy and federal or state law.

Found at the bottom of the University Home Page:
https://www.mountunion.edu/Documents/Hidden%20Pages/University%20Policies/Governance/Non-Discrimination.pdf#

Here is the Protocol found on the University webpage: https://www.mountunion.edu/campus-life/safety-and-parking/sexual-misconduct/title-ix

“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.”

The University of Mount Union is committed to creating an environment free of harassment and sexual misconduct as well as complying with all requirements as set forth by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Discrimination on the basis of sex or gender will not be tolerated by any of the University’s education programs or activities. This includes, but is not limited to sexual harassment; sexual violence; sex or gender-based bullying; hazing; stalking; relationship violence (including domestic violence and dating violence); as well as failure to provide equal opportunity in admissions, activities, employment or athletics. Sex and gender violations will be addressed by Title IX complaint protocols which are jointly coordinated by the offices of human resources and student affairs.

The University Title IX Co-Coordinators ensure that all campus constituencies receive proper training and review all reported allegations of sex or gender discrimination including alleged violations of the University’s Interim Policy for Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Nondiscrimination for all Faculty, Students, Employees and Third-Parties.

Any concerns about potential violations of this policy should be reported to either of the Title IX co-coordinators below:

Michelle Gaffney, associate dean of students & Title IX co-coordinator
Hoover Price Campus Center, Office of Student Affairs
1972 Clark Ave, Alliance, OH, 44602
Phone: (330) 823-2496
E-mail: gaffnemi@mountunion.edu

Marci Craig, director of human resources & Title IX co-coordinator
Beeghly Hall, Office of Human Resources
1972 Clark Ave, Alliance, OH, 44602
Phone: (330) 829-6560
E-mail: craigml@mountunion.edu

Reports can also be made here: Title IX Incident Reporting Form

Inquiries may be made externally to:

Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington DC 20202-1100

Customer Service Hotline: (800) 421-3481
Fax: (202) 453-6012
TDD: (877) 521-2172
Email: OCR@ed.gov

The Ohio Office of Civil Rights can be found at:

Cleveland Office
U.S. Department of Education
1350 Euclid Avenue
Suite 325
Cleveland, OH 44115
Telephone: (216) 522-4970
Facsimile: (216) 522-2573
Email: OCR.Cleveland@ed.gov

For complaints involving employees: https://www.eeoc.gov/field-office/cleveland/location (EEOC)

The Interim Policy for Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Nondiscrimination for all Faculty, Students, Employees and Third-Parties (the Policy) can be retrieved here. The linked copy here is the most recent copy of the Policy. If/when updates are made to the Policy they are posted here and this is the current policy for Mount Union.

When a situation involving sexual misconduct has occurred, there are many decisions a person must make both immediately following and during her/his recovery from such a personal violation. The University of Mount Union provides services that can assist the student with this process; the Sexual Misconduct Responder Program is designed for this purpose. More information or a list of current responders, visit the Sexual Misconduct Responder Program page.

Title IX Team
The Title IX Grievance Pool, Decision-Maker Pool, and Appeal Decision-Maker Pools are made up of University employees (both faculty and staff) who are specially trained to serve in these pools. Members of the Grievance Pool can serve as both investigators and advisors. Their role is formally outlined in the Policy. The Title IX co-coordinators, with approval from the president, select the members of the pools.

The following individuals will serve as pool members for the 2020-2021 academic year:

Shehla Arif - Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Bryan Boatright – Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs-Academic Systems and University Registrar
Andrew Boothe - Manager of Payroll and Compensation Analytics
Caitlin Clark – Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Administration, and Inclusion
Laura Good - Assistant Director of Human Resources and Benefits Systems Manager
Marci Muckleroy - Assistant Director of the Center for Student Success
Matt Parnell - Director of Recreation and Wellness Services
Sara Sherer - Director of Residence Life

Title IX Decision-Makers include:

Patience Bartunek – Director of Student Conduct
Sara Sherer – Director of Residence Life
Bryan Boatright - Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs-Academic Systems and University Registrar
Jesse Cunion, Assistant Dean for Student Success
Kristine Still – Founding Dean of the College of Applied and Social Sciences
Heather Duda – Founding Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities
Sandra Madar – Founding Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences

Title IX Appeal Decision-Makers include:

John Frazier – Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Lindajean Western - Vice President of Enrollment Management
Pat Heddleston - Vice President of Business Affairs and Treasurer
Melissa Gardner - Vice President for Marketing
Jeff Breese - Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Training Information
Members of the Title IX Pools receive regular training on the following topics:

The scope of the University of Mount Union’s interim policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination and Procedures
How to conduct investigations and hearings that protect the safety of Complainants and Respondents, and promote accountability
Implicit bias
Disparate treatment and impact
Reporting, confidentiality, and privacy requirements
Applicable laws, regulations, and federal regulatory guidance
How to implement appropriate and situation-specific remedies
How to investigate in a thorough, reliable, and impartial manner
How to uphold fairness, equity, and due process
How to weigh evidence
How to conduct questioning
How to assess credibility
Impartiality and objectivity
How to render findings and generate clear, concise, evidence-based rationales
The definitions of all offenses
How to apply definitions used by the University of Mount Union with respect to consent (or the absence or negation of consent) consistently, impartially, and in accordance with policy
How to conduct an investigation and grievance process including hearings, appeals, and informal resolution processes
How to serve impartially by avoiding prejudgment of the facts at issue, conflicts of interest, and bias
Any technology to be used at a live hearing
Issues of relevance of questions and evidence
Issues of relevance to create an investigation report that fairly summarizes relevant evidence
How to determine appropriate sanctions in reference to all forms of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation allegations
Recordkeeping

Specific training is also provided for Appeal Decision-Makers, intake personnel, Advisors (who are University of Mount Union employees), and Decision-Makers. All Pool members are required to attend these trainings annually.

At the discretion of the Title IX Coordinators, the University may also retain external contractors to serve as pool members.

Training Materials
The materials used to train Title IX Officers will be posted here as training is completed, which will occur annually during the Fall Semester. Additional training may occur throughout the year to ensure that all pool members are appropriately trained.

AMERICAN MINORITY STUDENT SERVICES

Mount Union is committed to educating men and women of all races in keeping with our mission to prepare students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship. The University of Mount Union offers many services, student organizations, and opportunities to students of minority descent.

OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion serves as a resource for all students and provides assistance for academic, social, cultural, and personal well-being.

MANZILLA MULTICULTURAL AWARD – $2,000
Awarded at the time of admission to incoming undergraduate first year students. Eligible students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students must have indicated on their admission application that they are members of the following ethnic groups (categories from U.S. Census Bureau): Black or African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander and/or are a first generation college student. First generation students must have indicated neither parent has an education level of “college or beyond” on their FAFSA. The award is renewable for eight semesters.

WAYNE MANZILLA DIVERSITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Wayne Manzilla graduated in 1888 and was the first African-American to graduate from Mount Union.

In Wayne Manzilla's honor, and in order to diversify the staff at the University, we seek to employ recent minority UMU graduates and help them to complete advanced degrees, which will allow them to assume full-time positions at the University.

Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program

Mount Union seeks to nurture academic excellence in its students and to support the efforts of its underrepresented students by providing role models for them in various academic and administrative areas on campus. In order to move toward having a more diverse staff at the University, we seek to employ recent minority graduates and help them to complete advanced degrees which will allow them to assume full-time positions at the University.

To achieve this goal, the University will strive to maintain the employment of three underrepresented graduates in part-time positions. A total annual commitment of 1,440 hours will be expected of working interns. The hours might be arranged with approximately 20 hours a week during the academic semesters, and 16 weeks of full-time during the summer months.

Employment will ideally begin in June following selection, and graduate work will begin no later than January following selection. Timing of the six weeks of full-time employment, as mentioned above, is negotiated between the intern and the supervisor, with notification of arrangements to the director of the Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program.

Interns must be enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited university which will allow them to complete a master’s degree or doctoral program preparing them for full-time employment at the University. If the intern leaves either the graduate or Manzilla program prior to completion, the tuition support received will be treated as a loan, and the intern will be expected to repay the University.

Compensations include a competitive salary, housing with utilities, a meal plan, and part-time staff benefits.
Interns are expected to maintain visibility at Mount Union while pursuing their graduate studies.
Every effort will be made to offer interns who successfully complete their degree(s) full-time positions at the university in an area related to their internship. Should such a position be offered, interns will be expected to work in that position for a period of three years. If the intern chooses not to accept the position offered, the tuition support received will be treated as a loan, and the intern will be expected to repay the University*. If a full-time position cannot be offered, the intern will have no further obligation to the University.
The supervisor will be responsible for training the intern, evaluating work progress, and reporting to the director of the program.
Interns will be expected to share progress reports on graduate work at the end of each semester.
CRITERIA
Proposed criteria will include but not limited to:

Students who are ethnically diverse
First-generation college students
Individuals with disabilities
Individuals with veteran status
Students from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background
Students who carry a GPA which supports admission to graduate school
Individuals who are or will be accepted in a graduate program at a nearby or online accredited institution
Students who are good matches with part-time positions being offered

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
The Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program will be administered by the director of the program.

In September or October, department identification will take place.
Application forms will be available online beginning the month of November.
The application deadline is March 5 at noon.
At the end of each academic year, the vice president in the area the intern is serving will be responsible for submitting a report to the coordinators and to the administrative council evaluating the work of the intern for the year and the strengths of the position for the University. The vice presidents’ report along with the interns’ reports will provide the basis for adaptation of the program and the potential revision of individual participant’s place in it.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Students who fit the criteria should complete the application and submit the necessary reference forms.

Completed application forms and requested materials will be submitted to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Once applications are received, the program committee and intern supervisor will convene to review applications.
When the interviews are completed, reviewer comments will be collected, and the committee will meet to advise the president on selection.
Students will be notified by the director of the Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program as soon as decisions are made.

Center for Student Success
Counseling Services
International Student Services

1. We have an internal program (Diversity Internship)which identifies through a competitive process students who have high exponential for an academic career and we offer them financial support for securing a graduate degree while they work for the University.

Wayne Manzilla Diversity Internship Program

Wayne Manzilla graduated in 1888, and was the first African-American to graduate from Mount Union.

In Wayne Manzilla's honor, and in order to diversify the staff and faculty at the University, we seek to employ recent minority UMU graduates and help them to complete advanced degrees, which will allow them to assume full-time positions at the University.

To achieve this goal, the University strives to maintain an employment of underrepresented graduates in part-time positions while they complete their graduate degrees. A total annual commitment of 840 hours will be expected of working interns. The hours might be arranged with approximately 20 hours a week during the academic semesters, and 16 weeks of full-time during the summer months.

A recent example of this is Dr. Kelsey Scanlon. She held the Diversity Internship while at UMU and was able to secure her PhD. and is now a full time Faculty Member of the institution, due to the support provided through this Internship.

2. We actively recruit faculty members to increase our diversity
3. We have a Diversity Plan that has a target level for diversity among all parts of campus including faculty with a goal to be at at leas diverse as the population of our region.

Data provided by Ronald Holden, Assistant Dean of Students, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Marci Craig, Director of Human Resources, Laura Good, Assistant Director of Human Resources, and Sara Sherer, Director of Residence Life.

Note: UMU does have gender-neutral bathrooms and single-use bathrooms labeled "restroom", but not a publicly accessible inventory on the UMU website.