An ATIXA Tip of the Week by Cara Tuttle, J.D., M.A., Vanderbilt University
I entered the Title IX field about ten years after completing law school. Interestingly, this wasn’t my original plan. I had always intended to stay in education, following in the footsteps of women in my family who were teachers. Teaching runs deep in my lineage, and my parents envisioned that path for me and my identical twin sister, Tara.
Driven by my passion for advocacy, I transitioned from teaching political science and women’s and gender studies to a career in administration. As the Director of Programs at the Northwestern University Women’s Center, I focused on advancing equity through impactful initiatives. These included workshops on speaking with authority, salary negotiation, and even a session led by a female mechanic on car maintenance. Additionally, we provided essential support for survivors, ensuring a comprehensive approach to empowerment and advocacy.
I joined Vanderbilt University in 2012, shortly after the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter reshaped the landscape of Title IX. A pivotal moment in my career led to my current role as the Director of the Project Safe Center for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response. Today, I am honored to contribute as a member of ATIXA’s Advisory Board, furthering my commitment to creating safer and more inclusive communities.
ATIXA Advisory Board
When the opportunity to join the ATIXA Advisory Board came up, I was grateful to be involved. ATIXA is committed to a trauma-informed, holistic approach to addressing campus and school issues. The association produces exceptional materials and resources, cementing its reputation as the premier organization in this field. My experience as a member reflected that excellence.
I have completed certification trainings with ATIXA and regularly engage with webinars and reference materials. Most recently, I completed the Free Speech and Responding to Protests and Activism in Educational Settings course. My colleagues frequently participate in NABITA courses and employ those resources as well. While I am not a core member of our Behavioral Intervention Team or CARE team, I contribute to cases where my involvement is relevant.
Building and Expanding Project Safe
Vanderbilt’s launch of the Project Safe Center in 2014 came early in the higher education movement to strengthen sexual misconduct prevention and survivor support programs. Historically, resources around sexual violence and misconduct operated quietly and privately, often with a protective, closed-door approach. At this time, just a handful of colleges and universities had begun adopting similar approaches, transitioning services from women’s centers to dedicated standalone spaces designed to reach and support a broader population in our campus communities.
To truly meet student needs, we had to go beyond being a safe haven—we needed to be visible, engaged, and collaborative. Centers like ours focused on prevention education and offering comprehensive support, and this sent an important message to the university community: sexual misconduct is not just a women’s issue.
Today, we have expanded the office from an initial three to now seven full-time employees, a graduate assistant, and five student peer educators. We have professional staff serving as prevention educators, as well as victim advocates, whom we refer to as Victim Resource Specialists. From the beginning, I prioritized hiring people who understood the mission and were passionate about the work. Our team is diverse, comprising staff with master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education, public health, social work, education, and other related fields.
Project Safe is a space where we go beyond compliance to be a comfortable, open, welcoming, and private space where people feel safe. We strive to be culturally competent, sensitive, trauma-informed, and relevant; otherwise, none of our work can be effective. Victim advocacy is essential to this mission.
An Innovative Approach to Collaborating with Campus Partners
Project Safe has always been housed within Student Affairs, but we serve the entire university community. As Title IX and sexual misconduct became increasingly prominent and sensitive topics, I found myself in meetings and discussions with an interdisciplinary team of campus partners, including University leadership, faculty, counsel, risk management, student health, and public safety officers.
Building trust is essential so students feel comfortable seeking help. Once they trust us, we can address the issue they are facing, work to prevent future harm, and support their academic success. Vanderbilt’s Student Care Network offers a range of resources, including educational support. Project Safe doesn’t need to solve everything for a student; instead, our goal is to help them identify their existing support network and integrate those resources into their plans to better cope, heal, and build resilience. Sometimes, this means comforting someone when they’re panicking and helping them feel grounded and then setting priorities. We want them to feel heard and supported and, when possible, stay on track with their education. Retention is important, but more than that, we want our students to thrive.
Beyond supporting students, my goal has been to establish myself as a trusted campus expert, so when issues arise, individuals who do not regularly address these types of incidents will involve Project Safe in their response. I’ve worked to build a team of allies across campus who want to do the right thing and reach out to us and the Title IX team, even if this work isn’t their full-time focus. Building trust with both students and campus partners is incredibly fulfilling, and it’s why I remain committed to this work.
My Mission and Philosophy
When I speak to students, especially young women, I often share this perspective: You might see me as a no-nonsense, assertive role model on campus—someone who appears fearless. However, the truth is that this work is challenging and, at times, intimidating, and I remind them, “This is tough work worth doing.”
I had to rise to the occasion when I stepped into my role leading the Center. Leadership demands action—if you’re not willing to spearhead projects or engage assertively, you shouldn’t be a leader. Over the years, I’ve had to be the voice of calm in the room, prioritizing the needs of potential targets and survivors, and I’ve found immense satisfaction in overcoming that fear and advocating for what is right. In meetings, there have been times I’ve had to say, “The crisis has already occurred. Let’s take a breath and focus.” That takes nerve, especially when people in the room outrank you.
Advice to Civil Rights Professionals
Be relentless: I believe my courage stems from my background. I grew up in a low-income, rural, working-class community as a scrappy Midwesterner. That upbringing has served me well, especially in higher education meetings, where I’m often the one to speak up and say the hard truths that others shy away from. When the moment calls for it, I can be strategically and occasionally relentless.
Savor long-term victories: Change doesn’t happen overnight, and I’ve learned to appreciate the value of persistence. At one institution, it took me five years to implement a trauma-informed training program for our university police, something both of our units recognized would be effective but was challenging to make happen. When an unexpected program cancellation resulted in a budget surplus one year, I jumped at the chance to cover the costs and provide lunch as an incentive to encourage participation. I had not let go of the idea and had been gently advocating for it, planting the seeds year after year, so I was able to move quickly when the opportunity arose. That experience taught me the importance of celebrating hard-earned, long-term victories.
Every small step forward, every student supported, and every barrier overcome reminds me why this work matters. I welcome a chance to serve a broader community as a member of the ATIXA Advisory Board. This is tough work, but it’s worth doing.