When Darci Heroy took on the role of associate vice president and Title IX coordinator, her interim appointment was slated to end in February 2017. But after nearly seven months on the job, the university has successfully recruited her to serve in the position permanently.
As the person responsible for coordinating the university’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault in compliance with Title IX, the federal law that requires equal access to educational opportunities, Heroy has excelled, according to Michael H. Schill, president and professor of law.
“We have long known that Darci possessed the ideal skill set to carry out this critical role,” Schill said. “After all the outstanding work that Darci has done to improve our processes and policies, to reach out to university constituencies and gain their trust, and to provide essential support to victims of sexual violence, I could not be happier that we convinced her to stay with us on a permanent basis.”
Robin Holmes, the UO’s vice president for student life, echoed that assessment.
“During the last seven months Darci has demonstrated what we believed all along,” Holmes said. “She is the right person to lead this important work and help the university be a leader in significantly reducing incidents of sexual assault, supporting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable.”
Heroy began consulting with the UO on Title IX issues in April 2015, providing project coordination for the Title IX management team, helping track the university’s Title IX initiatives and creating a framework for a comprehensive strategic plan on sexual assault prevention and response. She brings to the role a unique history with UO, having previously served as an equal opportunity specialist in the UO’s Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, where she conducted investigations of sexual misconduct cases.
Since February, Heroy and her team have demonstrated progress on important Title IX issues, including establishing a specialized group for assessing emergency actions and immediate response to incidents of sexual harassment and violence; enhancing the UO’s infrastructure by designating and training three new deputy coordinators for undergraduates, the Graduate School and the School of Law and actively working on designating more in Portland and at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology; and overseeing the successful implementation of the new standard operating procedures for all student sexual misconduct cases.
“I have always had a great respect and appreciation for those who work with these critically important issues, and that respect has grown exponentially as I have witnessed firsthand the incredible compassion and dedication that the people I work with demonstrate every day,” Heroy said. “I will be proud to continue serving with them as we strive to create an even more equitable, compassionate and safe community for all of our students and employees.”
Previously, Heroy served as a civil rights investigator for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. She is a labor and employment attorney with a law degree from the UO School of Law and a master’s degree in international policy analysis from the Monterey Institute.
—By Tobin J. Klinger, University Communications