Frostburg State University Hires New Title IX Coordinator Emily Caputo

Frostburg State University has announced that Emily Caputo has been named the new Title IX and University Compliance Coordinator starting  January 2015. After interviewing around forty-five candidates for the role of Title IX and University Compliance Coordinator within the last several months, Frostburg has decided upon Caputo, a Frostburg State University alumna.

Emily Caputo attended Frostburg State University from 1995 to 1999, graduating with a double major in both Justice Studies and Psychology. She then earned her master’s degree in Psychology and her juris doctor degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 2004. Before joining Frostburg’s faculty, Caputo was a risk management counselor at United Educators, an insurance and risk management organization that is owned by more than 1,200 schools, colleges, and universities. United Educators helps members manage their losses and offers many different education-specific risk management resources, including webinars, and both online and blended learning classes, in which Caputo would develop the content for. In Caputo’s role of risk management counsel, she mostly had to identity legal, regulatory, and risk management training needs as well as having to identity requirements for educational purposes.

Caputo also worked as a claims counsel for United Educators, advising higher education as well as elementary and secondary education on lawsuit strategies involving employment matters as well as claims stated by students. She would assign and manage outside counsel during all stages of lawsuits including development and strategies while at trial, as well as work on settlement negotiations.

When Caputo starts this January, she will be supervised by Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Stephen Spahr. Spahr knows that she will provide strong and new leadership, management, and direction to aspects of Title IX and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and University policies related to campus security. Some of Caputo’s responsibilities will include informing and educating the campus community regarding the Title IX rights and responsibilities, such as collaborating with campus departments, organizations, and advisory groups, and developing and implementing training programs. Frostburg already has many different training programs dealing with these matters for both students and faculty members, but Caputo will implement new aspects into the programs.

She will implement and maintain University policies, including the process for filing complaints and handling investigations and resolutions, which will be a large part of her job. She will help prepare, maintain, and review data and records pertaining to training, complaints, investigations, and findings related to Title IX as well as oversee collaborations with community partners. Caputo will assess the effectiveness of campus efforts to prevent sexual misconduct as well as recommend programs, policies, and procedures to senior University administrators and University police.

Karen Treber, University Counsel and Chair of the Search Committee who hired Caputo, had nothing but praise for her. She explained that it was a much less difficult task than she had anticipated when looking through applicants for the job, explaining that Caputo was very qualified for the job, as she immediately stood out compared to other applicants. Trebar said that after just looking at her resume and references alone, she knew Caputo was the right person for the job, before she even realized that she was a former student of Frostburg. Trebar said that this type of work is Emily’s passion, and she wanted someone who actually had particular background in this kind of field, which Caputo does.

Stephen Spahr explained that the Title IX coordinator position actually used to be a part of a larger position, but FSU knows that Title IX has become a large enough issue now that they wanted someone who could be a full-time coordinator. Spahr explained that the responsibilities for Title IX and compliance used to be more spread out to various groups around campus, but he said they wanted to have a person who could take on full responsibility of the position. With the various matters Caputo will be dealing with, she will have the power to appoint responsibilities to other members of her team, to help distribute the weight so she will not have as many tasks to keep track of at once. Having that power, both Spahr and Trebar know that it will be very beneficial to her.

Spahr explained he will be Caputo’s supervisor because President Gibralter considered this to be a big enough issue that he wanted the department to be more upfront with not only students, but the surrounding community as well. According to an FSU spokesperson, “[it is best practice] across the country that Title IX coordinators be independent of the operations that are providing support to survivors of sexual violence. For example, the previous Title IX coordinator is in Human Resources.”

Spahr agrees, saying that he also wants this to be, “more visible,” and for students to feel comfortable about coming in to talk if they need to. “It should be seamless to find access,” to places like this, he said. Caputo will put an emphasis on focusing on policy development and working with students and staff. All sexual assault cases will report directly to Caputo, who will work with the Judicial Board when necessary.

Frostburg State University and President Gibralter want all their students to feel safe and secure when living at Frostburg, and that their focus has always been for the safety of every student who attends Frostburg. Spahr explained that Gibralter will give Caputo all the resources necessary to get the job done, and that Frostburg is, “really excited about having her here.”