An Interview with Christy Martin, Title IX/504 Coordinator
Violet Burns
In the days before spring break, the Quest met with Reed’s new Title IX/504 Coordinator Christy Martin in her office in the Eliot Hall basement to discuss her new job and how she interacts with the Reed community.
First, some quick facts about Martin in quick succession: She has seven piercings, one of which was an accident. She enjoys singing and cookie decorating, and she’s pretty good (not great) at whistling. She also loves a good crime show.
Martin completed her undergraduate studies at Life Pacific College and completed her Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State University. She is now writing the dissertation for her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership in Higher Education at Oregon State University. Martin worked at Multnomah University for 16 years and went from office manager in Student Life to the Dean of Student Success. She described Multnomah University as a “tiny institution,” half the size of Reed, where she could focus on student affairs work and learn many roles within the umbrella of student life.
Martin knew she was looking to be in leadership and student affairs, and she was looking for something in the Portland area to stay near family. The position she came to Reed for, Director of Academic Support, sits at an intersection of student affairs and academics – a position she was and still is excited about.
Because she has experience with all aspects of student life from her previous institution, Title IX is work she is familiar with Martin said, “Every time I’ve gotten a job, I’ve been like ‘I love this job, I can do this job for the rest of my life’ … After a few years, I’m ready to encounter a new challenge, but always content,” adding that the administration is vital to the culture of an institution.
A Title IX/504 Coordinator is responsible for making sure the school complies with federal nondiscrimination regulations regarding sex, gender, and disability. Every institution receiving federal funding is required to have someone responsible for these policies. Chris Toutain, the previous Title IX/504 Coordinator, moved to another role, and following this, an interim coordinator from Grand River Solutions stepped in. Now, the job is Martins’. There have been resources available the entire time, as legally required by the college.
At Reed specifically, Martin will interact with the space at the institution, systemically and individually, that deals with creating a safe, kind, and inclusive community. “Ideally, the policies we manage are informing the culture that we want to be. So, non-discrimination - not being discriminated against, but [also] an umbrella including autonomy and safety.” In describing how higher education policy researchers talk about culture, she explained that they understand it metaphorically as soil, wanting to have soil that grows autonomy and inclusivity, and soil that inhibits discrimination, assault, and victimization. Title IX is only the federal minimum, so Reed also follows Oregon House Bill 3415, its own Discriminatory Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy (DHSM), and other policies to get above the minimum of what we need to do for students to feel safe and included. Martin’s job also involves knowing how DHSM and Title IX interact, and she is in touch with the Student Body Senate to build community and discuss policies.
Regarding Martin’s goals and priorities for her position, she gave a disclaimer, saying, “I'm new,” and specified, “I want to listen to what people have to say, to listen and form goals, … and make a difference in helping Reed thrive in partnership.” While she is settling in, she emphasizes her values of kindness and trust.
As for student engagement and education on Title IX, Martin mentioned that the Title IX website is a good resource. This includes a ”Book a meeting with me” link, and Martin added that she has a flexible schedule and is open to email correspondence to find another time to meet. Student Senate also has a Title IX committee, and they are in contact with Martin, with more to come as the year progresses.
Martin and SHARE Director L Mattson will be hosting an event next month on April 22 from 12:30-1:30pm in the GCC-BC conference rooms, entitled: "SHARE a lunch with Title IX," so be sure to mark your calendars!