Title IX

WPI is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy community. WPI is fortunate to have so many of our students, faculty and staff involved in preventing sexual misconduct. Here at WPI we believe that taking a proactive approach to sexual misconduct will continue to help foster a safe, diverse and equitable environment that will be void of sexual misconduct.

Programs and Resources

Confidential Resource Advisors
SAVE Committee
SPARC
ETHOS
Interfraternity Council (IFC)

Confidential Resource Advisors

WPI's Confidential Resource Advisors (CRAs) are WPI employees who have received special training to be a confidential source of support.

Any party involved in a Title IX / Sexual Misconduct incident/situation can speak with a CRA. Speaking with a CRA means that no report will be made to the Title IX Office. A CRA can assist you with obtaining other resources and can help you decide what options to pursue. A CRA can continue to be a source of support throughout the process and can serve as your advisor if you and the CRA agree.

Complainants - Deciding what to do after experiencing a Title IX / Sexual Misconduct incident/situation can be difficult. You can speak with a CRA about what has happened confidentially. This means that nothing you say or talk about with a Confidential Resource Advisor (CRA) will be shared with the Title IX Office. The CRAs can assist you with obtaining other resources and can help you decide what, if any, of your reporting options you wish to pursue. Your CRA can continue to be a source of support throughout the rest of the process, no matter what option you choose.

Respondents - It can be difficult to decide what to do when accused of violating WPI’s Title IX Policy or WPI’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. You can speak with a CRA about what has happened confidentially. This means that nothing you say or talk about with a Confidential Resource Advisor (CRA) will be shared with the Title IX Office. CRAs can also work with you when it comes to decisions regarding support services, resources, and options available to you. Your CRA can continue to be a source of support throughout the entire process. Unless indicated otherwise, every CRA can assist any member of the WPI community (staff, faculty, students, visitors) regardless of whether they are complainant or respondent.

Current CRAs include:

  • Kate Beverage, Academic Technology Center, kwrigley@wpi.edu, 508-831-6012 
  • Jennifer Cluett, Admissions, jcluett@wpi.edu, 508-831-5286 (assisting complainants only)
  • Dan Dougherty, Computer Science, dd@wpi.edu, 508-831-5621
  • Debra Ofcarcik, School of Engineering, dofcarcik@wpi.edu, 508-831-4694
  • Doug Petkie, Department of Physics, dtpetkie@wpi.edu, 508-831-5420 (WPI Ombuds Office)

Other confidential resources available at WPI are employees of Student Health Services, employees of the Student Development and Counseling Center, a chaplain or religious advisor working at WPI, and the WPI Ombudspersons.

 

SAVE Committee

One of the ways that our community accomplishes that goal of maintaining a safe and healthy community is through the work of the SAVE. Committee. SAVE stands for, “Sexual Assault Violence Education”. The SAVE Committee includes representatives from the WPI Police Department, the Dean of Students Office, Student Health Services, the Student Development & Counseling Center, Residential Services, Student Activities, Women’s Programs, SPARC members, and representatives from various student clubs & organizations. The SAVE Committee meets regularly to discuss WPI’s culture, plan educational opportunities, and increase communication about sexual misconduct in order to maintain a safe and healthy campus environment. S.A.V.E. is instrumental in bringing quality programs, events, workshops and speaking/discussion forums to the WPI Campus.

To participate, email Matt Barry or call 508-831-5540.

SPARC

Students Preventing Assault and Rape in our Community (SPARC) is a peer education program designed to prevent sexual assault, relationship violence, sexual harassment, and stalking. Additionally, SPARC works to provide information and resources to survivors of sexual misconduct and their friends and loved ones. WPI students educate their peers through programs and trainings and collaborate with other student groups to bring awareness to the issue of sexual misconduct in our community.

Goals

  • To provide programs for the college community on issues relating to sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, stalking, and consent.
  • To provide information and resources to survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence
  • To promote bystander intervention and increase students’ confidence in their ability to make WPI a safer environment.
  • Schedule a program: To request a SPARC presentation or workshop,  contact sparcexec@wpi.edu. Let us know what topics you would like covered, the size of your audience, and the date, time, and location.

Get Involved and Make a Difference in SPARC

SPARC would like to have you as a member. Email the SPARC exec board at sparcexec@wpi.edu.  You may also call the Student Development & Counseling Center at 508-831-5540 and ask for Matt Barry, our advisor. You can keep up with SPARC events through our SPARC Facebook and Instagram pages.

Member Responsibilities

  • Complete recommended training sessions for peer educators.
  • Attend regularly scheduled group meetings.
  • Participate in SPARC presentations for a variety of audiences (including student organizations, Insight Teams, athletic teams, RAs, CAs, Greek chapters, ROTC).
  • Be knowledgeable about area resources both on and off campus, including counseling services, Student Health Services, Pathways for Change (Central MA's rape crisis center), and refer survivors to the appropriate services.
  • Help plan and execute large campus events, including Take Back the Night and The Clothesline Project during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April).

Benefits

  • Contribute to making the WPI community a safer place.
  • Gain valuable experience while developing teaching, communication, presentation, and group facilitation skills.
  • Become part of a skilled team of students committed to providing accurate, nonjudgmental college health information to the WPI community.

ETHOS

ETHOS is a program created by fraternity brothers aims to help prevent sexual misconduct on campus, provide support to survivors. Named after the ancient Greek word meaning character, Ethos was founded in the fall of 2014 by students who wanted to address the role fraternity men can play in preventing sexual misconduct.

The Ethos program has been steadily growing in popularity since its inception in 2014. Through the program, fraternity brothers work to help create a positive culture change and become part of the solution in preventing sexual misconduct.

Held during A and D terms, the six-week program consists of hour-long sessions that double as interactive training workshops. Each session covers a different topic, ranging from ideas about masculinity and sexual misconduct to taking preventative measures against it and supporting survivors.  During the sessions, Matt Barry, who serves as staff leader for the program, explains that fraternity men not only discuss their values and how they’re connected to preventing sexual misconduct, but also conjoin their values with those of their respective fraternities.

Ethos is entirely voluntary and is open to any fraternity man who is interested in the program. Participants are typically nominated by past participants, and facilitators specifically seek out emerging leaders across each of the chapters at WPI. 

“Ethos and our other prevention efforts are meant to get the process started and it’s inspiring to see our students take what they learn and shape their own campus culture.” -Matt Barry

Interfraternity Council (IFC)

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) is the governing body of fraternity life at WPI, representing 13 fraternity chapters on campus. WPI’s fraternity chapters believe in creating a safe environment for all students, and the council has worked closely with the WPI Title IX Office and Title IX Coordinator, John Stewart, over the past year to make progress toward this goal.

The IFC has partnered with the Title IX Office on a number of proactive programs that will prevent sexual misconduct and violence to occur on the campus of WPI. Most recently IFC and the Title IX Office, through the SAVE Committee, were working collaboratively together to bring the “White Ribbon Campaign” to the WPI campus.

IFC has also engaged the WPI student body to collect feedback on risk management and is currently working with the Title IX Office to identify best practices and trainings to integrate into chapter risk management policies.

The IFC and its chapters will use this information to help improve the safety of fraternity events and advance WPI’s “Culture of Care”, together with the support of the Title IX Office.

Government Resources

U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights
Region I – Boston Office
5 Post Office Square, 8th Floor
Boston, MA 02109-3921
617-289-0111

U.S. Department of Justice 
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
145 N Street, NE, Suite 10W.121
Washington, DC 20530
Phone: 202-307-6026
Fax: (202) 305-2589
TTY: (202) 307-2277

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) 
1 Ashburton Place, Sixth Floor
Boston, MA 02108
617-994-6000