Title IX Investigator Comprehensive Course

General Information

The DSA Title IX team has trained over 10,000 Title IX Coordinators, Investigators, Hearing Officers and Advisors across the country and is well-known for delving into the practical application of Title IX. The DSA team, comprised of seasoned practitioners, and all have served as Title IX Coordinators/Deputy Coordinators and Investigators for institutions of higher education. As further changes to the required processes are made by the Office for Civil Rights, those changes are immediately incorporated into all relevant DSA classes.

Title IX Investigator Comprehensive Course

This 2½ day course combines four of the Title IX Investigator Tier classes (Tier 1 – Sex-Based Harassment Investigations; Tier 2 – Dating/Domestic Violence and Stalking Investigations; Tier 3 – Case Study and Simulation; and Tier 5 – Report Writing). Participants will receive 1 certificate (for Tiers 1, 2, 3, and 5) upon completion of this comprehensive course.

Class Description

This course will provide a comprehensive understanding of investigating incidents of alleged policy violations related to sex-based harassment (quid pro quo, hostile environment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking) in higher education from start to finish with an emphasis on complying with applicable Clery Act and Title IX regulations and guidance. This course will also take an in-depth look at creating and writing investigative reports for alleged violations of institutional policy. The course will include practical exercises, including an interactive simulation of interviewing.

Some of the key topics that will be covered are:

• The Investigator (includes conflict of interest and bias)
• Title IX for Investigators (very brief overview of the process specific to complaints)
• Defining Sex-based Harassment (includes definitions, consent, and incapacitation)
• Specific considerations when investigating DVDVS, including power and control
• How to conduct predominant aggressor determinations
• Investigative Strategy and Evidence Collection
• Interviewing
• Review of relevant laws, regulations, guidance, and case law
• Characteristics of a Strong Investigative Report
• Managing Evidence
• Preliminary Reports/Evidence Packet
• Developing the Final Investigative Report
• Utilizing the Parties’ Responses to the Preliminary Report
• Determining and Articulating Relevancy

Who Should Attend

This class is appropriate for Title IX investigators and other administrators/staff conducting administrative investigations into claims of sex-based harassment and discrimination, including personnel in campus police/public safety who are involved in conducting in conducting these types of administrative investigations.

Certification/Recertification

Attendees of this class will receive a certificate of completion from D. Stafford & Associates. Certification verifies attendance at this class and can serve as an institution’s documentation that the attendee has received training that addresses issues related to sexual assault, including how to conduct an investigation and hearing process that protects the safety of victims and promotes accountability.

Persons who successfully complete this class will be eligible to enroll in the online Sexual Assault Investigations Recertification Training Program and the Online Dating/Domestic Violence and Stalking Recertification Program to help meet the annual training requirement of the Clery Act, as amended by the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2013.

Faculty

This training program will feature expert faculty who serve or who have served as practitioners on college and university campuses throughout the country in the areas of behavioral intervention and threat assessment, student conduct, Title IX, and human resources and legal affairs.

Logistics

This class is a 2 & 1/2 day in-person class (with time built in for breaks) held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Eastern Time on Days 1 and 2, and 8:30 am to 12:00 pm Eastern Time on Day 3.

Additional logistics (for in-person options–airports, hotels, and other location specific information) is available when clicking the “Class Details & Registration” button for a specific class. (Note: clicking the “Class Details & Registration” button will not automatically register attendees for this class. There is an additional registration button that attendees must click to register at the bottom of the logistics page to complete the registration process).