Cullan makes national presentation about Title IX

The opportunity came her way when she was approached by Tom Green, Director of Title IX Compliance for Nebraska State College System. He asked if Cullan would like to work with him to submit a proposal to ATIXA to present at the national conference. The proposal was approved and conference organizers asked if they would join with Dr. Laura Soulsby of Randolph-Macon College, a small private institution near Richmond, Virginia, who had written a similar submission.

“The three of us, through numerous emails and Zoom meetings, worked together to create a cohesive and comprehensive presentation talking about the challenges faced at a system office, public institution, and private institution,” Cullan said.

Cullan said she saw a need for the presentation since smaller institutions were not well represented at past conferences.

“Typically, the topics are directed toward larger universities who have greater budgets and often have teams of individuals who work in a Title IX Department. We felt there was a need for smaller institutions to have a platform and to address issues we face. What our role looks like, and the multiple hats we wear. Have a space where we could share ideas, resources, and things we have learned,” Cullan said.

She said she appreciates Green utilizing technology to provide the same level of support for her at CSC, as he does for her counterparts in Peru and Wayne.

During the presentation, Cullan and her colleagues discussed Title IX Compliance, coordination of investigations, file maintenance, educational training, educational programming, campus surveys, and 24-hour on-call responses. Cullan talked about managing the challenges of CSC’s rural location, distance from the other state colleges, and system office. She also discussed managing relationships and building trust with departments on campus, as well as off-campus agencies.

Other topics Cullan discussed during her presentation included limited off-campus resources, ensuring a high level of case management and care, accessing funding for educational programming, and ensuring privacy.

The panel members also covered self-care for Title IX professionals including how to develop a network and access online resources.

“I am so fortunate to have a system-level coordinator and sister college coordinators to bounce ideas off of,” she said. “My takeaways were the similarly shared challenges, the need for additional support, and the need for additional funding,” Cullan said.

Cullan said the conference used an app that allowed presenters and conference attendees to share useful information.

“So even after our session, everyone in attendance was able to review and learn about what resources are available. We had several people stay behind and share additional resources and tips including different grant opportunities,” she said.