“It’s important to know that the Title IX office is here so that students can feel safe to come forward and report and that’s encouraged. I want the student body to know that I’m not here to always take complaints. If students just want to come and talk and have a conversation with me, my door is always open,” says Xhiljola Ruçi, Stevens’ new Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator.
Ruçi started her position in early December. She graduated from the Pace University School of Law in 2013 and worked as a prosecutor at the Bronx County District Attorney Office for the past five years. At the beginning of her time there, she worked on misdemeanor and general felony cases. In recent years, she has focused on the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau of the Special Victims division, where she worked with victims of sexual assault or abuse. This work provided the background and experience she needed to take on her role as the Title IX Coordinator.
As the Coordinator, Ruçi acts as the chief officer for all conduct cases, including situations involving assault, serious amounts of drugs and alcohol, and altercations between Stevens students. Additionally, she is an advisor to the Honor Board, and handles all reports of Title IX violations.
According to her, Title IX is a way for colleges to come to a clear consensus for fighting discrimination based on gender and sex. Title IX, part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Ruçi wants students to know that it is not her responsibility to take sides or confront students. Her goal is to protect all Stevens students and ensure that everyone here is guaranteed the same rights, receives equal access to school programs, and is treated equally and fairly, regardless of gender or sex. She wants students to feel safe on campus and invites students to her office to simply have a conversation with her about situations that are making them uncomfortable on campus. She seeks to create an environment where sexual assault and gender discrimination are not taboo but are instead welcome conversation topics; in her opinion, the more open our discussions are as a Stevens community, the more we can protect each other and ensure safety on campus. She hopes to open these discussions at events such as Take Back the Night, which will be happening on April 25.
If a Stevens student is concerned about a situation on campus that could be a possible Title IX violation, the first step is to get in contact with Ruçi, either by approaching her or filing a complaint through an RA, faculty member, campus police, or other official figure. Ruçi will then have a natural conversation with the student about their concerns and provide them with the options they have to proceed with a complaint, either formally or informally. Ruçi can be contacted through her email at xruci@stevens.edu, or by phone at (201) 216-3383.
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