Advocacy and Response

In the meantime, we recognize that immediate barriers exist that need to be addressed. To do so effectively, the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion coordinates with campus partners to respond to concerns and advocate for policies and practices that aim to remove those barriers and the impact that accompanies them.

Advisory Group on Disability, Access, and Inclusion

In her 2015 inaugural address, President Patton expressed that “diversity is an everyday ethic to be cultivated, made richer and more vibrant.” As part of this vision for Middlebury, President Patton has charged the Advisory Group on Disability, Access, and Inclusion to identify ways to make Middlebury a more inclusive community, focusing on issues related to disability and people with disabilities. Learn more about the Advisory Group on Disability, Access, and Inclusion. 

Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI) serves as a platform for faculty engagement and governance on issues pertaining to diversity, inclusivity, and equity. We strive to

• Investigate the campus climate for students, staff, and faculty
• Address potential bias in the evaluation of teaching
• Promote inclusive curricula and pedagogy
• Raise awareness about microaggressions and other issues that impact all members of the community, both in the classroom and beyond. 

The committee is comprised of two elected faculty members and four appointed faculty members. See a list of current members. 

The Community Bias Response Team

The Community Bias Response Team (CBRT) provides the Middlebury community with a system for reporting and responding to bias-related incidents, behaviors, and actions. CBRT assesses the impact of bias-related incidents on individuals and groups and coordinates responses utilizing education and restorative practices.

Coalition for Dismantling Antisemitism at Middlebury

The Coalition for Dismantling Antisemitism at Middlebury aims to create opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to learn more about antisemitism and how Jewish students experience it on campus and elsewhere. Antisemitism has been on the rise in the U.S. and on college campuses, adding urgency to this work. Please read this statement about our work and visit our Resources on Antisemitism page. 

Restorative Practices

Middlebury embraces a framework for Restorative Practices to build and maintain relationships within our campus community. These opportunities create space to come together to restore those relationships when the attitudes or actions of individuals or the institution threaten to undermine them. 

Adaptable Resolution

Middlebury uses an Adaptable Resolution framework to facilitate processes grounded in the principles of restorative justice and designed to address harm that happens within our campus community.

Ombudspersons

Ombudspersons are individuals appointed by the President to help faculty and staff with issues related to employment at Middlebury. Dealings with ombudspersons are strictly confidential unless an employee agrees to share information in order to resolve a problem. 

Title IX

The Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator leads Middlebury’s efforts to ensure that Middlebury maintains an environment free from discrimination based on gender, disability, and all other legally protected identity characteristics.  The duties of this position ultimately reflect Middlebury’s commitment to fostering a safe and respectful campus climate for all.

The Coordinator has primary responsibility for coordinating and implementing Middlebury’s Title IX compliance efforts, and for helping to strengthen a culture that supports a safe and respectful learning, working and living environment. The coordinator tracks and supports Middlebury’s sexual misconduct, dating violence, stalking, and harassment incidents and ensures appropriate resolution. Reporting to the Chief Diversity Officer, the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator has duties that involve work in four primary areas:

• Investigation Administration
• Policy Oversight
• Communication, Collaboration, and Supervision
• Campus Education, Outreach and Training

Middlebury’s Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator:



Butterfly Blaise Boire

Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator

Service Building 213

802-443-2147

bboire@middlebury.edu  

Human Relations Officers

The Human Relations Officers (HROs) review, adjudicate, investigate and/or provide oversight for the investigation, adjudication and processing of sexual misconduct (including sexual assault and sexual exploitation), domestic and dating violence and misconduct, stalking, harassment, discrimination and related retaliation matters for all students, faculty and staff in all Middlebury programs, including the undergraduate program, Language Schools, Schools Abroad, Bread Loaf School of English, Bread Loaf Writers Conference, School of the Environment, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and MiddCore in accordance with Middlebury’s Policy Against Sexual Misconduct, Domestic and Dating Violence and Misconduct and Stalking and Middlebury’s Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy.

Working collaboratively with the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator and officials in all Middlebury programs, they develop, oversee and/or implement Middlebury’s sexual and interpersonal violence, harassment, and discrimination policies, procedures and response efforts for all students, faculty and staff in all Middlebury programs in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

Middlebury’s Human Relations Officers:

 

Thaddeus Watulak

Sr. Human Relations Officer

Service Building 215

(802) 443-5741

twatulak@middlebury.edu 

Vacant

Human Relations Officer

Service Building 235

(802) 443-3324