In the Student Senate meeting on April 25, campus climate survey results and position turnover in the Title IX office dictated much of the discussion.
Title IX Coordinator Kasey Nikkel and Assistant Director of Assessment and Institutional Research Kayla Bourquin were both present at the meeting to share results from the survey and answer questions from senators. Notably, 80% of survey respondents did not experience sexual asssault. 94% of respondents reported assailants to be other Luther students.
One notable aspect of the meeting was Nikkel’s announcement regarding position turnover. While Nikkel will be “transitioning away from Luther” at the end of June to work at Decorah High School, she will still be spearheading the preparation process for the incoming Title IX Coordinator. Nikkel expanded on her transition during the meeting.
“I think the campus climate survey results in the action plan are really great contexts for the next Title IX coordinator coming in,” Nikkel said at the meeting. “This is a comprehensive plan to kind of show the new coordinator what we’re currently doing, where we’ve been growing, where we’ve been trying to gain ground with trust with our student body, and yet being honest and saying, ‘here’s some opportunities for growth.’”
The meeting also addressed the recent release of new Title IX guidelines by the Department of Education, set to be implemented by August 1. Nikkel urged student engagement and feedback on the guidelines, highlighting the significance of understanding and adhering to the changes.
In light of the evolving Title IX landscape, Nikkel stressed to Senate the need for active bystander intervention and took suggestions on how the campus community can collectively move forward. According to survey results, while 1040 Luther students have participated in a Green Dot Bystander Intervention Workshop, in 2023 only 13% of victim respondents reported a bystander intervening in assault. Collaboration with Campus Safety, particularly through frequent exchanges with Director of Campus Safety and Security Bob Palmer, was highlighted as a key strategy.
Furthermore, the meeting addressed the upcoming expiration of Luther’s contract with Vector, the current training platform for Title IX sessions. Seeking alternatives, Nikkel expressed openness to suggestions from students and organizations, underlining the importance of adapting to more effective training methods.
Senators also continued work for the ongoing Preus Library Renovation Project. Seeking input from the student body, boards for feedback have been posted in the Library, accompanied by an online survey open until May 10. Michael Muse, one of the lead architects for the project, updated the Senate on where the renovation is at in terms of progress.
“We are at the point in the process right now where we’ve just completed what’s called the programming phase which is where we’re meeting with all the stakeholder groups and defining the space needs for the building,” Muse said. “So now that we have the space definition component done, we’re about to move into design.”
The minutes of the meeting can be found here. The next Student Senate meeting is scheduled for May 2 at 9:45 a.m. in the Mott-Borlaug room.
