Katherine Lasher has served as the associate vice president for the Office of Institutional Equity since Aug. 1, 2019. | Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State News
When the Ohio State Sexual and Civility Empowerment unit — a center for survivors of sexual violence — closed in June 2018, students told The Lantern they did not know where to turn.
But in August 2018, the university announced a centralized reporting center designed to streamline the reporting experience to be called the Office of Institutional Equity.
As it embarks on its second semester, the Office of Institutional Equity — Ohio State’s new office that handles all forms of harassment and misconduct — spent the fall building up its resources. The office now is aiming to develop more robust programming and increase awareness about the office, Katherine Lasher, associate vice president of OIE, said.
The office’s creation was announced Aug. 21, 2018, and was previously described to The Lantern as a centralized reporting center that seeks to connect resources for sexual assault survivors who desire help on and off campus, as well as handle all forms of discrimination and harassment, including that of race, ethnicity and disability. Lasher took on her leadership role in the office Aug. 1.
OIE comes after the closure of SCE, where four employees were fired after an external review determined that the unit did not comply with requirements to document and report sexual assault complaints, according to a university press release. An audit later found that SCE failed to report 57 felonies after its establishment in 2015.
University spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email that prior to OIE, “reports went to a number of different offices.”
Lasher said the last few months have consisted of building up the intake of harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct reports.
“How that works is if we have a concern of harassment, discrimination or sexual misconduct, there’s now one pathway at the university, and that’s for all faculty, students, staff members,” Lasher said. “You can file a report by calling our office or you can report online through a form.”
From there, intake coordinators review the information submitted and reach out to individuals regarding next steps, which might include providing resources, Lasher said. Next, if the person who filed the report wants an investigation or if the office determines an investigation is warranted, the case will be turned over to the office’s investigators.
Lasher said the one-path model aims to provide more uniformity in the process for the individual filing the report.
“The hope is that will not only be a streamlined process, but consistency in who you’re hearing from in the process,” Lasher said.
University President Michael V. Drake told The Lantern in March that the initial vision for the office was for it to be a single location where students, faculty and staff have a place to receive advice and guidance about an issue and be redirected to the appropriate resources.
“I’d like ultimately for us to have a clear place where you can go and then learn about the options you have available and to take advantage of those in the way that you wish,” Drake said.
Lasher said the creation of the office, mandatory student training, increased faculty and staff training offerings and societal movements such as #MeToo may all lead to increased reporting.
Lasher said that as the office enters its second semester, it’s looking to expand its programming with the recent hire of a director of education and engagement.
“One of our goals is to really kind of develop a more robust curriculum about harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct that extends beyond just online education,” Lasher said. “That’s one of our goals for not just the spring semester, but going into the next academic years to have more engagement in that area.”
The office will also be increasing promotion of its services through materials and handouts.
Lasher said the people who work at OIE are dedicated to cultivating a responsive environment.
“I think that most people that engage with our office find that the people that they work with and that are working with them are so passionate about this area and committed to it, and that we’re all working together to try to really improve the culture and climate here at the university,” she said.
