By Molly Ashline, Staff Writer

Published in print Mar. 25, 2015

Murphie Chappell is UNC-Greensboro’s Title IX Coordinator, and the first to fill the position full-time.  Chappell has been at UNCG for a month. Previously, Chappell worked as a staff attorney at the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which handled civil cases surrounding sexual assault.

Her prior career involved her in the legal minutiae of Title IX, which is a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 that prevents discrimination based on gender, according to the Institution of Education Sciences.

“I would work in…the civil issues, but what I found was, I really, really love the campus stuff a lot more, so that was where I kind of started to develop my interest,” explained Chappell.

Chappell switched from legal practice to the education system after campuses began to place a growing emphasis on Title IX.

Her decision to come to UNCG was influenced by the goals of UNCG’s administration.“This is the chancellor’s top priority. She’s concerned about the students; she’s concerned about the staff, the faculty…she wants our policies to be up-to-date…if it was just compliance…this wouldn’t be the place for me,” said Chappell.

Still, Chappell wants to work with more than just her colleagues in administration. She thinks it’s important to reach out to student groups, the community and academic departments.

Chappell has spoken with current Student Government President Joseph Graham about the best way to meet with student groups about issues of sexual assault.

“One of the things that I really want to do is make the Title IX office…accessible and open to students,” Chappell said.

One of the hurdles that Chappell faces is the relative unfamiliarity on campus with Title IX.

“I think a lot of people are a little bit unaware of Title IX— maybe a little bit unaware that this position is even on campus,” stated Chappell.

But part of the work Chappell will strive to accomplish is to make victims of sexual assault more aware of their resources.

Chappell also hopes that students and the greater Greensboro community will take part in events that inform people about sexual assault.

“We’re going to have to put a lot of responsibility on the students to actually go to these trainings…we’re also going to be creative about how we get that message out,” said Chappell.

She expects that a campus climate survey will be sent out in the coming months to assess how messages are reaching students, but Chappell believes that timing may be the greatest factor.

“We are going to be attending clubs, athletics, any kind of organization where there are a significant number of students that gather together. We are trying to get to those events, especially in the first few weeks of the year,” she said.

April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, is obviously an important time for Chappell’s goals as well. She mentioned informational flyers about student group training that would be distributed in April.

“We have to hold one another accountable to attend these events and to help people understand the reality of sexual assault,” said Chappell.

While she wants all students to receive messages pertaining to Title IX and sexual assault, training as a requirement is something about which Chappell is hesitant.“If I just put this requirement on you, it looks a lot different than if I ask for your participation in something,” said Chappell about the importance of community contribution.

She went on to say that despite her desire for the expansion of helpful programs and community involvement, there is little set in stone at the moment.

“Right now, “coordinator” is honestly the truest definition of my job, and so I’m coordinating our efforts and really hoping to switch things up for next year,” she said.

Chappell remains excited about the freedom the new Title IX coordinator position affords her. “I really want to create the least hostile campus environment we can create, because at the end of the day that’s what Title IX is for,” concluded Chappell.