EQUAL All Things Being

MARK MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

Softball, volleyball, basketball, even crosscountry and rowing. Scroll down the list of women’s athletic programs offered at the University of Washington and nearly all of them were created after the passage of Title IX in 1972.

Across the entire sports spectrum, ranging from five-a-side soccer for 6-year-olds to opportunities at the collegiate, Olympic and professional levels, most conversations about Title IX inevitably shift to athletics.

When Title IX became law on June 23, 1972, athletics were not specifically a part of it. However, because the law forbids discrimination based on sex in “any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance,” athletics are covered because they are considered an integral part of an institution’s education program.

But the landmark legislation, now in its 50th anniversary year, goes way beyond that. Whether someone is still competing, has finished competing — or isn’t an athlete at all — Title IX likely will have some kind of impact in their lives.

It covers numerous aspects of educational settings. That includes things such as equitable access to instruction, especially those focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (commonly referred to as STEM courses). It covers recruitment, admissions, scholarships and other kinds of financial aid, and counseling.

A somewhat common misperception is that Title IX applies only to preventing discrimination against women. In fact, it is applicable to the rights of both women and men, and that all receive fair and equal treatment in all areas of education.

“I think it has been more about ensuring along the way that everything is equitable,” Deputy Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator Erin O’Connell said in an interview with Go Huskies Magazine last summer. “Or when coming across a situation between men and women in the college environment, whether it’s sports or something else, if it isn’t equitable, working on a plan to do that.”

While Title IX was originally conceived to deal with discrimination based on sex, it has since expanded to gender expression, LGBTQIA+ identity, sexual orientation, and pregnant or parenting status.

“If there is a program or course that is being delivered in an inequitable way so people in that environment feel like they can’t equally contribute or are not being treated equally based on sex or gender, then we are the office that would remedy that,” said Kiana Swearingen, Washington’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Education and Prevention.

“We ensure that our academic environment is open to people of all genders and that they feel like they’re able to contribute and belong in those spaces.”

Another significant aspect of Title IX — and one that is not often in the spotlight — is policies that relate to sexual assault and harassment on campus. That can include hazing and bullying. And, in a world ever more connected by technology, it can include cyberbullying, as well.

Students, faculty, and staff have options in reporting such incidents, and school employees have obligations to help facilitate such reporting.

At Washington, there is an entire department — the Office of the Title IX Coordinator, led by Valery Richardson — that is the driving force behind efforts in that specific area of the legislation, with a strong focus on education and prevention. It provides information on supporting someone who has experienced sex- and gender-based harassment or violence, or information about prevention education and training. It also is a source for those who are pregnant and looking to find out about support and protections that are available.

There are links for all of it.

“We have different strategies for different populations at the University of Washington,” Swearingen said. “Different folks need information delivered in different ways, and they need to be motivated in different ways.”

One of the key resources available is called Husky Prevention and Response. It is an online course geared toward employees and students, and their roles in recognizing sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and how to respond accordingly.

The course, which Washington students are required to complete, was the product of teamwork between faculty, staff, students, and other academic personnel.

“I’ve been at the university for a little bit over eight years, and early on when I came here, we had strong student leaders who were advocating for more education for employees and for their peers,” Swearingen said.

“It was years of powerful advocacy by students requesting this, saying they needed it, saying they wanted the employees around them to be better trained, and they wanted this information for themselves.

“When they really brought these issues to the forefront,” she added, “our president made the decision to support the allocation of resources toward this work.”

After its passage half a century ago, Title IX wasn’t just left on the books as written, never to be changed or even tweaked. Instead, it has evolved with time, and continues to do so. The U.S. Department of Education is planning to release updates and revisions this spring.

“When that comes out, we’ll update our policies and processes here at Washington, and that update would include a number of things that might change how employees do their job around this work,” Swearingen said, adding that more education and training for employees and students could be forthcoming in the wake of those changes.

While carrying out and delivering on all aspects of Title IX is clearly a UW priority, Swearingen pointed out that administrators are always looking beyond their own purple-and-gold boundaries.

“There is just a range of what different institutions across the nations are doing, and I think everyone is doing their best to try to implement Title IX regulations,” she said. “But different institutions do it in really different ways. I think that we have found some pathways and options that are really creative and innovative.

“I would say the way we do our work is a little bit different than some other institutions,” Swearingen continued. “But we’re always looking to other folks to learn, as well, because other people are also doing some innovative stuff. So, it’s like, yes, let’s listen to those other good ideas, absolutely.”

Even though conversations about it naturally shift toward athletics, Title IX goes well beyond the playing fields.