Story by Stella Childress, Contributing writer
On Oct. 7, the annual Title IX training requirement for all students, faculty and staff at Murray State will be due.
Failure to complete the training results in a hold on the student’s account.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education, any institution financed by the government is required to comply by the amendment.
“Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities,” Murray State’s Title IX website states.
Students have mixed feelings about the annual training.
Steven Treadaway, junior from Murray, said the training is unnecessary to do every year.
“Most of it is redundant because we are 20 and 21 [years old],” Treadaway said.
Cassidy Carroll, junior from Hendersonville, Kentucky, said the training can be tedious but agrees with it.
“It is important to bringing student awareness,” Carroll said.
Tristan Ritter, sophomore from St. Louis, agrees that the training is important for students to complete.
“I like it. It reminds you of things you probably forgot over summer,” Ritter said.
Andrew Higgins, senior from Mount Vernon, Indiana, also likes the current Title IX format.
“I think it is necessary. I am in Racer Band. So, Camisha Duffy comes to talk to us about dangerous situations and what to do. People need to know right from wrong,” Higgins said.
Camisha Duffy is the Title IX coordinator at Murray State. She facilitates the Title IX trainings and serves as a resource to help students if they experience harassment or assault in any way.
“In an effort to provide a safe and supportive environment for all people, it is necessary to annually raise awareness on ways to be safe and comply with federal law,” Duffy wrote in a letter attached to the Title IX training.
To comply with the federal law, create awareness and accommodate busy student schedules, changes could be made to the formatting of the training.
“I think it would be better if freshman year they had a program in transitions courses, making it interactive and having professors lecture instead of doing the online trainings every year,” said Abigail Stringer, junior from Murray.
The National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education took a survey and found that 30 percent of undergraduate and 40 percent of graduate students have experienced sexual harassment.
A major goal in Title IX training is to bring awareness.
“It helps people who have those situations get help,” said Mary Hubbard, sophomore from Marshall County, Kentucky.
Any questions or reports of sexual harassment can be directed to [email protected], Public Safety or Camisha Duffy.
