Full-time Title IX coordinator begins work

Duke has appointed its first full-time director of Title IX compliance.

Howard Kallem, who began work Monday, spent nearly two decades in the Office for Civil Rights in the United States Department of Education, where he focused on civil rights enforcement and Title IX compliance. He comes to Duke from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he has served as the Title IX compliance coordinator since January 2014.

“[Kallem] brings a wealth and depth of experience from his tenure at the Office of Civil Rights and his many unique experiences in working in tandem with colleges and universities to ensure that our institutions are responsive and compliant in creating safe and equitable environments for all,” Stephanie Helms Pickett, director of the Women’s Center, wrote in an email Tuesday.

Title IX has long been associated with promoting gender equity in sports, but a recent number of high-profile stories of assault on college campuses have drawn attention to other aspects of the law—which also addresses sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination and sexual violence.

Before Kallem’s arrival, Benjamin Reese, vice president for institutional equity, served as Title IX coordinator as part of his responsibilities as vice president.

With the growing focus on sexual assaults on college campuses, it made sense to have one individual “devote their full time to every aspect of this issue, including training, overseeing the process of how we handle complaints and reviewing our policies and practices,” Reese said in a Duke News release.

In his new position, Kallem will work with students, staff and faculty from across the University.

“The national scrutiny on Title IX has created conversations across campus that are healthy,” Reese said in the release. “It encourages everyone to look at the way we think about how universities handle sexual violence complaints. With Howie’s guidance, I expect us to come out of this with improved processes.”