Gillian Ford, the previous Title IX coordinator, is stepping down to interim Title IX coordinator as Allegheny College looks for a new person to fill her shoes in the 2023-24 school year. The date Ford will be officially resigning remains undetermined.
“My husband had an employment opportunity out-of-state and we took advantage of that,” Ford said, “It’s just one of those opportunities we couldn’t pass up and it’s a good time in our personal lives to make a change.”
Ford will be staying on as interim Title IX coordinator in a virtual capacity until the Title IX coordinator position is filled.
Title IX is a federal law under the Education Amendments of 1972 which states that no person shall be discriminated against based on sex. Title IX protects against sexual harassment and the failure to provide both equal athletic and academic opportunities. Allegheny’s policy expands on Title IX by explicitly prohibiting discrimination and harassment based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, color and age. For more information on Title IX visit sites.allegheny.edu/titleix/.
Ford has been with Allegheny for over 15 years in a variety of different capacities. She started in a fundraising role before transitioning to be a liaison for the President’s Office. Ford had many other positions, including but not limited to being a member of the Board of Relations, dean of students and chief of staff in the President’s Office. From the chief of staff position, she then became the Title IX coordinator.
“The reason why I did that (became the Title IX coordinator) is that, at that time, sexual assault on college campuses was a huge issue nationwide,” Ford said. For 15 years Ford was an executive director at the women’s shelter, a local non-profit organization that provides services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
As Title IX coordinator, Ford worked with a collaborative team, including two deputy coordinators — Assistant Director of Human Resources Mark Kohnen and Head Women’s Soccer Coach Lacey Phillips. The team works to ensure an equitable system for both parties involved in a Title IX case, making sure both parties are supported and have the resources they need to still be successful in college while going through the investigation process.
This collaborative team is overseen by Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Heather Moore Roberson. Both deputy coordinators declined to comment on the change of leadership.
During her time at the college, Ford has brought a unique leadership style to the Title IX Office. Her experience working in a variety of positions on campus provided her with an in-depth understanding of the college’s inner workings. Ford was able to elevate the Title IX office in a way that was not before her time due to her extensive knowledge of the campus community and her multifacetedness, according to Roberson . She was and still is a staunch advocate for students here on campus. Roberson also described her as a force on campus who was able to be collaborative across campus with not just students but the faculty as well.
“Fantastic,” Roberson said, describing Ford, “She was such a bright light for our campus community. She is a collaborator, a builder and a bridge maker. Just an incredible colleague.” Roberson has worked closely with Ford for the past nine years and feels that Fordwill be hard to replace.
In addition to Ford impacting Allegheny, she has also felt impacted herself. The college has allowed her to utilize a variety of skill sets while working here on campus. Being such a big part of the community while guiding students and foraging professional relationships has been an enjoyable experience for Ford.
This semester, students can still rely on the Title IX Office to be up and running as normal. All Title IX cases reported will be handled by Ford and her team — just in a more virtual capacity than they had previously. Currently, Allegheny has three different plans of action to ensure the ongoing success of the Title IX office, which are: keeping Ford on as interim in a virtual capacity, contacting third parties to provide Title IX services and accepting applications from those interested in becoming the new Title IX Coordinator.
“Allegheny is so lucky to have a community of really dedicated folks working on campus,” Ford said. “I will miss that the most.”
