Since 2021, there have been four different Title IX coordinators at Trinity University and two sets of federal regulations. The Title IX office ensures the university is compliant with the civil rights legislation and handles cases and accusations of discrimination based on sex, as well as sexual misconduct and harassment.
Angela Miranda-Clark, ‘89 alumna and inaugural Title IX coordinator, started the office in 2019 but left abruptly in June 2023. Shortly after, Kateeka Harris became the interim Title IX coordinator. Harris, contracted through third-party consulting firm Grand River Solutions, worked parttime remotely from Dallas, starting at 15 hours per week.
“When I first started, I think my contract hours for the first three or four months was 60 hours a month, and then based on the volume and the work that needed to be done, we increased the hours to 80 a month, and then finally to 90,” Harris said.
Besides a brief intermission in Harris’s tenure in March 2024, when Nicole Monsibais took over as coordinator and left the position within three months, Harris remained on campus until October 2024. Harris stated she did not know why Monsibais left, but that it resulted in the office growing to two full-time staff members. Harris will continue to consult on campus, as all Title IX investigations remain outsourced to Grand River Solutions.
The office has been a part of the human resource office under Jim Hertel, chief human resources officer. In August of this year, the decision was made to hire a Title IX Coordinator and an Equal Opportunity Services Coordinator. Michaela Postell took over as the new full-time universityemployed Title IX Coordinator in October, alongside Wiley Graham who took over the Title VI and Title VII compliance. Hertel notes the future of the office amidst the specialization of the role.
“I’m just excited to have somebody on board who’s going to provide some stability to the office and is going to be able to establish relationships with people on campus.” Hertel said. “So it’ll be nice to have somebody in that role who’s a Trinity employee and is going to be able to connect with the community.”
Postell began her tenure shortly after the new 2024 federal Title IX regulations were supposed to take effect in August.
These regulations streched protections for pregnant and parenting students, as well as expanded the definition of sex and gender to match the language regulations of other civil rights laws. However, there are lawsuits currently blocking the state of Texas and public universities from implementing the new regulations.
“I’m hoping that the issues in the legislation with the 2024 regulations will be worked out soon, but until then, unfortunately, yes we are still using the 2020 regulations, and we’re just figuring out a way to make sure that it still supports our community,” Postell said.
There has been no word regarding whether Presidentelect Trump will return to the 2020 regulations that his first administration created. Both Postell and Harris said that it is up to the university to decide when, if and how the 2024 regulations will be incorporated into Trinity’s sexual misconduct policy, which currently matches that of the state of Texas.
