Simpson Library displays exhibit on history of Title IX

Given time and staffing constraints on the specific anniversary of Title IX, an exhibition wasn’t possible last year. However, the Center for Prevention and Education still wanted to fully celebrate the monumental anniversary before it was technically over, as the official 50th anniversary was June 23, 2022.

“I’ve only heard positive responses,” Trish Greene, head of access services and outreach at Simpson Library, said of the display. “I have seen people looking at the cases and all the stuff in there. One thing I liked about it is there’s lots of different objects to look at and lots of different stories and information.”

For Miller, the 2011 Dear Colleagues letter, which imposed new mandates for how schools adjudicate sexual misconduct, stands out the most.

“The biggest thing coming from the 2011 Dear Colleague letter is that every school needs to have a Title IX coordinator,” said Miller. “The reason why that stands out the most is because, for me, that is really what put all campuses on the map.”

This exhibition is larger than many other exhibitions that have been displayed in Simpson Library.

“It’s definitely the most full display we’ve had,” said Justin Mundie, a senior computer science major and employee at Simpson Library. “I think it definitely brought more attention to it and it’s really informative. I think it would definitely be cool to continue getting more involved exhibitions here.”

The Title IX exhibition highlights the significant progress that has been made in providing equal access to employment and educational opportunities, while also pointing out the improvements and work that remains, requiring continued awareness, advocacy and education.

Not only that, the exhibit speaks to UMW’s legacy as a whole.

“A lot of Mary Washington’s mission connects to really thinking about how we can make worldwide change,” said Miller. “And so even when I think about bystander intervention, and when I teach that, it goes beyond just campus and so if we’re seeing something that we’re concerned about, it should have an effect on the greater Fredericksburg or wherever you may go, because you take our honor code with you, you take our code of conduct with you, you take out values with you. And so just because you’re not on campus doesn’t mean you can’t act.”