Civil Rights Response Coordinator

EOCR Civil Rights Response Coordinator - Position Description

The Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) seeks applicants for a Civil Rights Response Coordinator. This new full-time position will be part of EOCR's Preventing and Addressing Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation (PADHR) team, report to the Senior Compliance Director, and work closely with the Senior Compliance Director, the Associate Vice President for EOCR and the PADHR Team.

EOCR's mission is to ensure equal opportunity and to protect the civil rights of all University community members (faculty, staff, and students) through proactive outreach and education, and effective response and resolution. EOCR is responsible for a wide range of activities related to the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity and related policies and procedures. As part of that work, EOCR receives and responds to reports of discrimination and harassment that are based on an individual's protected characteristics, including but not limited to reports based on race, national and ethnic origin, religious affiliation, disability and age, as well as reports of retaliation. This work routinely involves close coordination with other offices within UVA to gather additional information, provide support and resources, address conduct, monitor and prevent future conduct, and consider other UVA policies that may be implicated. This new role will enhance EOCR's response efforts and ensure ongoing and effective coordination among key partners in Student Affairs, Human Resources, the Provost Office, individual School, UPD and others.

The Civil Rights Response Coordinator will serve a vital role as the main point of contact within EOCR for reports, complaints, and inquiries regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The primary focus of the role will be evaluating and responding to reports of discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation by students, faculty, and staff and coordinating with multiple offices on case specific response and actions, as well as in broader response efforts. In addition, the Coordinator will also provide training and education and participate in outreach activities related to EOCR's mission and scope of work.

Key Priorities:

Response, and Assessment, and Resolution

• Respond to and evaluate reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation to determine if the reported conduct potentially falls within the scope of University's PADHR policies, outreach to the reporter and impacted individual, conduct further assessment and gather additional information available, provide information about options for resolution and resources, and coordinate with other key University partners in these efforts.

• Apply an in-depth understanding of federal and state civil rights laws, regulations and guidance when evaluating reports and consult with the Senior Compliance Director for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, as necessary, to determine the appropriate course of action.

• Promptly document steps taken to by EOCR and University partners to address reports in EOCR's case management system, update case files, and ensure accurate casework, documentation, and follow up.

• Effectively communicate and engage with Student Affairs, Employee Relations/Human Resources, Provost's office, University Police Department, School leadership, and other key stakeholders and partners as necessary to respond, address, monitor and prevent report-related issues.

• Meet with parties to discuss the resolution process and coordinate with other units regarding supportive measures once a complaint has been filed.

• Facilitate or coordinate informal resolution as appropriate and assist with the formal resolution process.

• Track discrimination, harassment, and retaliation data and assist the EOCR management team with conducting periodic assessments of the effectiveness of University policies and procedures, including the overall efficacy of coordination and overall response by the University to various forms of discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation.

• Remain current and knowledgeable about legal and legislative updates and agency guidance relevant to the work and identify and integrate best practices to enhance policies, procedures, and practices.

Training, Outreach, and Education

• Provide training to faculty, staff, and students regarding the PADHR policies, processes, and related information, identify potential training opportunities, and coordinate and track training.

• Attend EOCR outreach events and represent EOCR at campus and community meetings, workshops, or similar events, and support EOCR's efforts to increase awareness and understanding of PADHR policy and community role in response and prevention.

• Review at periodic intervals the PADHR training module and webpages to identify updates or potential new areas or ways in which the PADHR team can educate the community, and assist EOCR management with the development of training, marketing, and other educational materials to raise awareness of the rights and responsibilities of our University community.

Qualified applicants will have a bachelor's degree with a minimum of four years of relevant experience. Preference will be given to candidates with civil rights-related experience in Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, or related substantially equivalent state statutes; to candidates with bias-response related experience; and/or to candidates with experience working in higher education. A Juris Doctor or advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred (e.g., higher education administration, social work, human resources, etc.) and at least two years of civil rights or related response is preferred. Candidates with higher education experience or with a federal or state civil rights agency are strongly encouraged to apply.

A competitive applicant for the Civil Rights Response Coordinator role will have many of the following skills and abilities:

• Ability to work in close coordination with a variety of stakeholders and colleagues across the institution, and provide leadership, input, direction and consultation on an ongoing basis.

• Demonstrated experience with and commitment to working effectively with students, faculty, staff, or other individuals from diverse backgrounds, particularly in the context of responding to reports, and in interactions with parties and others involved.

• Deep sensitivity and thorough understanding of the impact of trauma and other harms to individuals who have experienced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.

• Effective interpersonal skills, and the ability to exercise discretion and good judgment, as well as manage change and build consensus.

• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to interpret federal, state, and local equal opportunity, civil rights, and non-discrimination laws, regulations and related guidance that apply to the employment and educational settings at a public university (e.g., the ADA, Section 504, Title VI, Title VII, and Title IX).

• Ability to maintain highly sensitive information with discretion and good judgment to preserve confidentiality and privacy.

• Strong analytical, writing, and critical thinking skills; ability to problem solve, analyze, summarize, and communicate effectively in written and non-written forms.

• Ability to present to a variety of audiences and facilitate education and training sessions.

• Ability to manage a large caseload in a fast paced, high-volume environment and demonstrated organizational, planning, and time management skills and strong ability to multitask, including managing multiple matters concurrently.

• Demonstrated computer proficiency, including Excel, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint.

While the position is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, EOCR offers a flexible and hybrid workplace.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. The minimum salary for this role is $85,000.

To Apply or Nominate:

Please apply through UVA job board and search for R0065775 . Complete an application online, attach a cover letter, and CV/resume. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration, please note that multiple documents can be uploaded in the "Resume" box.

This position will remain open until filled. This is an Exempt level, benefited position. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

For questions about the application process, please contact Ashley Cochran, Senior Recruiter at alc6dk@virginia.edu.