Dear Volunteer community,

Welcome to the beginning of a new academic year at the University of Tennessee. I am grateful you are part of our Volunteer community.

The university is committed to providing a living, learning, and working environment free of sexual misconduct, relationship violence, stalking, and retaliation. The Office of Title IX is in place to serve the entire university community with a comprehensive commitment to ensuring access to education through our Title IX model.

Our Model

• Policy: Our foundation is in the policy and procedures we follow. Familiarize yourself with the Policy on Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation.
• Prevention and education: Our goal is to stop sexual misconduct, relationship violence, stalking, and retaliation before they happen. Learn more about how you can be a part of ending sexual misconduct at the university and beyond from our partners at the Center for Health Education and Wellness by following them on social media at @volshelpvols, visiting a Red Zone pop-up event, or requesting or attending programs on consent, healthy relationships, or being an active bystander.
• Support and interim measures: Our promise is to provide support and appropriate interim measures to individuals involved in a Title IX process.
• Investigation and resolution: Our commitments to due process, campus safety, and encouraging reporting guide how we investigate and resolve reports.
• Patterns and trends: Our responsibility is to use the best available research, evidence-based practice, and our own campus and institute trends in our prevention and response efforts.

We all have a role. I ask you to participate in the following ways:

• Be a bystander who ACTs: Acknowledge the situation, Consider your options, and Take action. You have the ability to help someone in need by being an active bystander and speaking up. Set the expectation among your friends and in your student organizations, classrooms, and departments.
• Get informed. Plan to attend the annual Title IX Panel at 4 p.m. Thursday, September 12, in Student Union Room 169. Panel members include representatives from the Office of Title IX, the Center for Health Education and Wellness, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, the UT Police Department, the Student Counseling Center, and the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee.
• Reach out if you have questions or concerns. Remember, you are not alone.

Faculty and staff: In the coming weeks you will receive an invitation to complete the 2019–20 Title IX training for mandatory reporters. The training will assist you in recognizing a reportable issue, understanding your obligations, and knowing how to connect faculty, staff, and students with the Office of Title IX. In the past year, 94 percent of reports started with a student sharing their concern with a faculty or staff member. If you would like to request training for graduate assistants in your department, contact the Office of Title IX.

We are working toward an informed and engaged community. You are part of the solution.

Our door remains open year round to your ideas, suggestions, questions, and concerns.

I look forward to working with you.

Ashley Blamey
Title IX Coordinator