In recent developments, the Women Empowered By Science (WEBS) program has found itself at the intersection of Title IX compliance and the pursuit of inclusivity. Title IX, a statute designed to protect students in educational institutions from discrimination based on sex has prompted the program to undergo significant changes.
An email was sent out to Elizabeth Leo, university counsel and Title IX coordinator, as well as to President Cant from a professor emeritus for the University of Michigan. This professor learned of the Wilkes WEBS program, and let the university know that he filed a complaint with the office of civil rights who will do an investigation on the matter.
This professor has made over 850 Title IX complaints from more than 2,000 civil rights violations at more than 750 colleges.
“He’s kind of been very prolific in his quest to eradicate programs that benefit one gender, and I believe they’re all those that have programs designed for girls or women to go into traditionally male-dominated fields,” said Leo.
In his email, the professor contacted the office of civil rights (OCR), the agency that oversees Title IX violations. To be proactive in compliance, Wilkes determined to remove all gender-related information from the program and from the website to make it compliant with Title IX.
If the OCR did do an investigation, they would examine the policies and practices, interview the individuals affiliated and ask for documentation. The investigation could vary from asking for a position paper, to conducting an on-site investigation.
WEBS, in compliance with Title IX, invites everyone to participate, regardless of their gender and identity, to join in their existing mission of empowering women in science. While they never directly excluded individuals from participating with the program, they are involving a more diverse population
than they had previously done.
“We’re inviting everyone regardless of gender and identity to join us in that mission of empowering women and helping them maintain their interest in science, but then also cultivate their interest through being armed elbow to elbow with other professionals from the community and also on campus,” said Debra Chapman, faculty of practice for the biology department.
Over the summer, the WEBS program held a summer camp which took place at the university. It provided young science enthusiasts with an exciting opportunity to explore various scientific fields through hands-on laboratories and activities.
“This summer I saw males in the program and a week ago I saw two young boys doing a WEBS project with one of the WEBS coordinators, so we never excluded other genders or other folks that identified in other ways, just that it was always predominantly girls,” said Leo.
The program started 21 years ago, and the focus of the camp was to involve young women who had an interest in science.
“The reality is that women will work with other people of all kinds of genders and identities when they are even here at Wilkes, but then certainly when they join the workforce,” said Chapman.
Title IX is an umbrella term that ensures there is comity between the benefits and opportunities that men and women have in colleges.
“The university is committed to complying with Title IX in all of the aspects of Title IX,” said Leo.