After the departure of Deputy Title IX Coordinator t. Aaron Hans in the spring, the Title IX office is now staffed solely by Dean of Students Patti Kersten, raising questions over changes to the reporting process and its efficacy.
However, Kersten as well as other staff involved with the office emphasize that these changes do not affect the operation of Title IX nor its impact; instead, the restructuring shifted the previous deputy role’s duties elsewhere, in particular to Coordinator of Gender + Sexualities Student Programs Eli Scriver.
“What [hans] was spending more time with was prevention work. We put [that work] with Eli because it really fits in regards to the advocacy and support.” Kersten said, ”
Scriver’s work regarding Title IX since joining Hamline this year has included bringing back the Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force and revamping the StepUP! bystander intervention program.
With Scriver taking on duties adjacent to those of the previous Deputy Coordinator, the Title IX process remains unchanged—and, Kersten hopes, as effective as ever.
She highlights that the workings of the report process may be misunderstood from an external point of view, and aims to prioritize the needs of the person bringing forward the case. Kersten explained that a person with allegations against them remaining on campus doesn’t necessarily mean no action was taken.
“There are times when the right decision is that somebody is expelled, and then sometimes the right decision is that this person needs to have some education and some learning,” Kersten said.
The office aims to have cases processed in under 90 days from report to hearing, although there have not been many that have gone through the hearing process.
“Once we know something it’s much faster than the police and the court systems,” she said.
Kersten also said her additional responsibilities as Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students were in no way limiting to the effectiveness of the Title IX reporting process. She explained how her involvement helps her understand the experiences and needs of students.
“It lets me have a broader perspective of what’s going on around campus, what’s in the minds of our students,” Kersten said. “It would always be nice to have more staff, but I don’t say that in the sense that students aren’t getting the resources and services they need.”
The recently released annual Security and Fire Safety Report showed an increase in rape cases brought forward on campus from two in 2021 and 2022 to five in 2023. A message stressed by both Kersten and Director of Hamline Public Safety (HPS) Illiana Cantu Delgado was the fact that these numbers in isolation are not necessarily indicative of an increasing trend in sexual assault or insufficient prevention efforts.
“With more people back on campus after the disruptions of recent years, there’s naturally a higher number of students present, which can lead to more reports…Additionally, with the strong community engagement efforts we’ve been working on, more students feel comfortable coming forward to speak their truth and report incidents.” Delgado said.
Public Safety collaborates closely with the Dean of Students on Title IX cases, taking initial reports and ensuring students are connected to the appropriate resources.
“We’ve been focusing on building trust and engaging more deeply with students, so they know we’re here to help and not just police,” Delgado said.