What is a successful achievement you have had doing Title IX work?
Since I’ve been the Title IX Coordinator (TIXC) at my institution, I have learned how to write grants. As a result, we are now two-time recipients of Governor Wolf’s “It’s On Us” grant to combat sexual violence. With that funding, we’ve been able to enhance student access to our office, bring exciting, effective programming to our campus, and obtain valuable training (much of which was provided by ATIXA) for myself and my deputy TIXC. It feels like so much of what we do is responding to crises, so I really treasure the opportunities we have to conduct outreach and connect with students in a proactive way.
What is an ATIXA resource or tool that has aided you?
All of the ATIXA guidance right after the 2020 regs came out, as well as the post-regs ATIXA model policy. I cannot even imagine how overwhelmed I would have been if I had not had ATIXA as a resource during that transition.
How has ATIXA helped you to be a better professional?
The network of competent and talented Title IX professionals has been an incredible resource. Their generosity in terms of sharing resources and providing feedback has been invaluable to me.
What is one way you practice self-care doing such intense work?
I do a lot of grounding meditations and breathing exercises. And when I unplug, I unplug completely. I make daily attempts to build downtime into my schedule. I used to pride myself on being accessible 24/7, but eventually realized what a mistake that was. Burnout is always nipping at our heels, so I now actively and fiercely guard the time I spend away from work.
I actually recall this was the advice I got at the 2019 ATIXA conference in Orlando when we were discussing self-care in one of the sessions. One of the presenters said that by allowing ourselves to take breaks and enjoy downtime, we are actually *more* productive when we are working. When it feels counterintuitive to me to step away from my phone, laptop, or office because there is just so much to do, I always remember those words.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming an ATIXA member.