Associate Vice President and Institutional Equity Officer

Position Summary

The Associate Vice President and Institutional Equity Officer (“IEO”) is the University's chief equity official is an executive officer reporting to the President through the Vice President of Executive Affairs. The AVP and IEO is responsible for overseeing institutional compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of the 1972 Civil Rights Act (“Title IX”), the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2013 (“VAWA”), the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (“Campus SaVE”), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (“Title VII”), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”), the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”)  and other related federal and state laws across the University’s Norman, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa campus programs. Additionally, this position provides support to Cameron University and Roger’s State University.
In this role, the AVP and IEO works closely with the Vice President of Executive Affairs, the Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of Human Resources, the Offices of the Norman and Health Sciences Senior Vice President and Provosts, the Office of Student Conduct, the Office of Access and Opportunity, and other University administrators.
This position reports to and receives administrative supervision from the President through the Vice President of Executive Affairs, functions independently within the guidelines of the University’s personnel policies and regulations, coordinates with all appropriate unit heads, and exercises considerable judgment and initiative in planning, organizing, and completing assignments.

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead actions across the University to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements for Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, and all other discrimination and harassment federal and state laws and regulations, and applicable university policies.
• Manage investigatory personnel and oversees grievance procedures to ensure prompt, effective and equitable intake, investigations, and timely resolution of all complaints.  Responsibility for facilitating hearings pursuant to the university’s Grievance Procedures for Formal Complaints of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct.
• Provides support to Institutional Equity efforts at other Universities under Board of Regents jurisdiction.
• Oversees a comprehensive case management system that includes each reported complaint involving protected characteristic discrimination, sexual misconduct, harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and gender-based harassment.
• Coordinates the delivery of training on university policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment, sexual misconduct, and information about the complaint procedures and investigation processes. Provide training to senior leadership, Deans, and department heads. Provide and/or seek out external specialized training for investigators, advisors, decision makers, appellate officers, and others as required.
• Collaborate with Human Resources and the Provosts’ Office to develop proactive strategies, practices, and procedures to comply with federal and state laws, including mitigate adverse impact, and potential discrimination in employment, reviewing all phases of the employee life cycle and for issues related to employee accommodations and other disability-related matters.
• Coordinates the University’s Title IX, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action efforts, including the development, implementation, and monitoring of appropriate disclosures, hiring processes and decisions, policies, procedures and practices designed to comply with federal and state legislation, regulation, and case law requiring the prompt and equitable resolution of Title IX complaints.
• Coordinates the production and oversight of the Annual Affirmative Action Plans and VETS-4212 for the Norman, Health Sciences, and Tulsa campuses.
• Oversees the ADA/504 Coordinator and collaborates with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center for issues related to ADA/504 compliance.
• Provides accurate reporting for annual crime statistics, as required by the Jeanne Cleary Act.
• Facilitates a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with individuals of other cultures or backgrounds.
• Stays abreast of regulations and statutes on discrimination and harassment, Title IX, ADA/504, VAWA and the Campus Sexual Violence (SaVE) Act. Maintain a strong working knowledge of current and emerging regulatory environment in higher education, as well as national issues and trends. Continuously identify and integrate the evidence-based practices into the college’s procedures for all investigation and compliance processes, including the Title IX and Title VII investigation processes.
• Contributes to the overall success and strategic plan of the University by performing other duties as assigned. 

Skills and Competencies

• Experience in developing EO-related programs and policies and in delivering training programs on topics related to Title IX, VAWA,  the ADEA, ADA, Title VII, and other related federal and state laws.
• Strong supervisory, leadership, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead a team and to work collaboratively with various stakeholders including faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• The ability to work independently in a time-sensitive environment is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, or other types of trauma.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and manage caseload in a manner that ensures the prompt, effective, and equitable conclusion of such matters.
• The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

Salary:  Commensurate with education and experience

Qualifications:

Professional Requirements

• Education: A master’s or professional degree in human resources, law, sociology, psychology, or a related discipline is required.
• Experience: At least five years of investigatory experience is required, eight is preferred.
• Experience in investigating or prosecuting allegations of sexual misconduct and/or domestic violence is preferred, as is experience in working with victims of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and/or other types of trauma.
• Familiarity with Title IX, VAWA, Campus SaVE, Title VII, ADA, EPA, ADEA, and other related federal and state laws.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree is strongly preferred.
• Eight years investigatory experience preferred.

Application Instructions

Qualified applicants are requested to submit a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae and a list of at least three references.  For inquiries, please email chro@ou.edu.

By submitting my application, I certify that all information provided in support of my application for employment is true, correct and does not misrepresent my history or qualifications. I hereby authorize and give my consent to the University to confirm all such information and waive my right to privacy thereto to the extent required to verify relevant background and ability to perform all job-related functions. My consent specifically includes, but is not limited to, my prior job function, work performance, education, criminal record and other job-related issues. I understand that willful falsification or misrepresentation constitutes grounds for denying employment or for dismissal therefrom. If hired by the University, I agree to comply with its employment policies, rules, and regulations.