WE DEMAND ANSWERS.
We raise these questions about Title IX at Drew University as concerned members of the community. We believe these are questions that any citizen who is against power-based personal violence would demand answers to regarding the enforcement of Title IX and its place in institutions of higher education. Through its lack of transparency in this institutional restructuring Drew University has shaken the confidence of its community members about Drew’s desire and ability to protect individuals who have experienced power-based personal violence and its commitment to creating a culture in which such violence has no place.
ONGOING
What is the status of ongoing Title IX investigations that were being conducted under Emily Ralph?
Do students/faculty/staff who had reported Title IX complaints to Emily Ralph now know the status of their case? Are such persons aware that Emily Ralph is no longer handling their case?
Can the administration ensure that all ongoing investigations and reports filed up to the laying-off of Emily Ralph are actively being handled and investigated?
What steps has the university taken to ensure the confidentiality of complainants is respected while their report has been shared with up to eight new members of Drew’s Title IX “team”?
QUESTIONS REGARDING RESTRUCTURING
How does the present administration and newly appointed coordinator and his deputies understand the role and functions of the Title IX “team” and their positions? What are their Drew-specific long term goals?
​
The administration has claimed that the restructuring of the Title IX office was based on research done on the structuring of peer universities' Title IX offices. We would like to see this data. What was the criteria used to determine what constitutes a "peer university"? We have done similar research that suggests otherwise.
​
Which aspects of the Title IX Committee approved Sexual Violence Assessment and Action plan does the Title IX “team” believe to be a priority?
How will the administration ensure that possible conflicts of interest on the parts of the Coordinator or his deputies do not inhibit the enforcement of Title IX given the new structuring of the Title IX “team”?
With the restructuring of the “Title IX team” to have one Coordinator and three deputies (and a slew of other involved persons), how will the administration assure students that their confidentiality will be not only respected but protected? In what manner will complaints and information about complainants be shared between the Title IX “team” members?
How will potential Title IX complaints about one of the members of the Title IX “team” or Coordinator in this situation be handled given the new structuring?
Will the new structuring of the the Title IX personnel as a “team” require more outsourcing of investigations?
President Baenninger stated in her “Presidential Address” published on 25 January 2019 in The Drew Acorn that all restructuring and cost saving initiatives were guided by a number of principles, first and foremost of which is “student success.” How does this restructuring of the Title IX office/team promote student success? Were any individuals who had worked with a Title IX office as a complainant here or at other institutions consulted about how the structuring of the Title IX office either hindered or promoted their success?
President Baenninger also stated in her “Presidential Address” that in some cases restructuring occurred “because other staff have gained new expertise or because we’ve achieved a level of best practice.” We are led to believe that in this she is referring to Frank Merckx’s recent reception of a Ph.D. in Medical Humanities from Drew University. His dissertation, titled “Sexual Misconduct Education: Challenges of Educating International Students with Domestic Educational Assumptions,” presents a strong bias against VAWA regulations and Obama-era guidelines. We are thereby concerned about his ability to support and uphold the law. If we are correct in this deduction, we are wondering how the reception of this degree qualifies Dean Merckx to deal with the legal issues involved in performing the duties of a Title IX Coordinator? What other qualifications does Dean Merckx and his team have specifically pertaining to the enforcement of Title IX on campus?
​
When does President Baenninger intend to notify the University community of this extremely important and sensitive restructuring? When will she speak directly and candidly to the concerns we have here raised?