Important Update Regarding Access, Equity, & Title IX

Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,

I am emailing to share important information and updates regarding Access, Equity, & Title IX.

Ryan Milligan, Acting Title IX Coordinator in Access, Equity, & Title IX will be leaving the College on August 15. Ryan joined Emerson in January 2020 as the College’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator and Investigator amid profound changes in the regulatory landscape for Title IX. Ryan’s many contributions to the work of Access, Equity, & Title IX include ongoing development of training and workshops for staff, faculty, and students; policy changes under tight timeframes to ensure College compliance with new federal regulations; and chairing the Presidential Working Group’s Standing Committee. 

We are especially grateful to Ryan for having held the position of Acting Title IX Coordinator for the past nine months. Although he will be missed, we support Ryan as he follows a calling to pursue the field of restorative justice in his new position as Conflict Resolution Specialist at Phillips Academy. 

Prior to Ryan’s departure, Phil Catanzano will join Access, Equity, & Title IX during a temporary transition period and will assume the role of Acting Title IX Coordinator after Ryan’s departure until the position can be filled in a permanent capacity. Phil is a practicing attorney, nationally recognized Title IX expert, teaches in both law and education graduate schools, and a former member of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, where he served for almost a decade. He has expertise in the field of power-based interpersonal violence (PBIV), including advising higher education institutions on their policies and practices, and investigating reports of violations of policy both against colleges and universities as well as individuals. He has previously served as an Interim Title IX Coordinator at another local institution and has significant experience training individuals in the field of sexual misconduct and Title IX. In this capacity, Phil will provide ongoing timely response for reports of violations of the College’s PBIV Policy.

In addition to Phil, Elizabeth Canning will be joining us to assist with intake interviews and community needs. Also an attorney and national expert in this field, Elizabeth has established and led Title IX and equity offices at three academic institutions and has conducted or supervised hundreds of investigations over the past decade. She has also trained thousands of students and employees on topics including power-based interpersonal violence.

With Phil and Elizabeth’s guidance, Access, Equity, & Title IX will continue providing options for resolution of reports of power-based interpersonal violence and support to our community as we work towards building a permanent team in a timely and meaningful way. 

Emerson’s existing Title IX reporting process will remain in place. To contact the Access, Equity, & Title IX, please email titleix@emerson.edu, Ryan Milligan at ryan_milligan@emerson.edu (until 8/15), Phil Catanzano at philcatanzano@emerson.edu, and/or Elizabeth Canning at elizabethcanning@emerson.edu (beginning 8/23). 

Sincerely,

Ruthanne Madsen, EdD
Interim Supervisor, Social Justice Center
and Vice President for Enrollment Management