The Office of Student Affairs welcomes James Hanson as the new Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator. Hanson worked in areas like Seattle and Texas, and came to New Jersey in 2023 as a Title IX coordinator for Drew University before arriving at Stevens for his first year. “It was just a natural next step for me,” Hanson remarked.
James Hanson and I sat across from each other in his modest office; walls slightly blank yet warmly decorated. Some books, some papers, some drawings. A duck. So far, Hanson and I—as a freshman undergrad—shared a distinct quality: we’re not from New Jersey.
“I’ve only been here for three years and I still barely mastered it,” he laughs.
In 1972, Title IX was passed as part of the Education Amendments that “prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.” Championed by people like Patsy Mink, a U.S. representative of Hawaii and the first woman of color elected to Congress, Title IX filled anti-sex discrimination gaps that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 missed.
In the UCC commons, The Stute sat with him in the corner of the long hallway of offices as he explained, “Our job is to create and train people who are more aware of their responsibility to their community.” He added, “We try to create global citizens. That’s the whole point of student affairs in general. We’re the ones who are training people for what to do outside of the classroom.”
Hanson, who was amazingly enthusiastic when he welcomed me into his office, spoke with a level-headed passion about the things, among filing through reports his office worked on and hoped to work on. “My goal is for us to always grow. I’m interested in your growth and your journey overall and not just when you’ve stumbled.”
Hanson mentioned his desire for justice and accountability, something he had to rediscover in undergrad when he received some unexpected advice: “I had written a really scathing paper about the private prison system, and my professor told me that if I wanted to go into criminal law because I’m actually interested in justice, it’s probably not a very good route for me,” he said as he laughed shyly.
When asked about how he saw himself as a man in a field where 89% of victims of reported rape are girls & women, he responded, “I understand that when I show up into a space, I am very male. I walk in this field knowing that having a male Title IX Coordinator does come with its limitations and its benefits. There’s always going to be a gap between anybody, any survivor’s experience.”
Hanson says his goal is to be as prepared, informed, and mindful as possible of how his identity interacts with those who come forward. “It kind of comes with everything that you do in this world.”
As our conversation ended, he encouraged people to stop by his office, for any concerns. “My door is always open,” he said beamingly.
The Title IX office is located in University Center Complex, room 215, for student needs and inquiries. If you experience, or become aware, of any situations that fall under the Title IX policies, please contact any Title IX Coordinators, including James Hansen (jhanson2@stevens.edu), or Stevens Campus Police (201.216.3911).
