Meet Sarah Harebo, the Newest Member of Smith’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Team

Sarah Harebo, who began work in August as Smith’s new Title IX coordinator and institutional equity administrator, brings a wealth of experience as a trainer, advocate and policy expert to her job overseeing compliance with the federal law banning sex discrimination in higher education.

Harebo—who earned a law degree at Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson School of Law—had served as staff attorney for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence before coming to Smith. Her experience also includes stints as a staff attorney for the YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Center in Harrisburg, Pa., and as a human resources generalist for Sitel Corp. in Madison, Wis.

Harebo joins Smith’s newly renamed Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity as the college is preparing to launch a comprehensive new diversity and inclusion initiative. A centerpiece of that work—done in collaboration with the college’s diversity and inclusion council—will be a campus climate survey to help identify ways Smith can achieve the full engagement of all students, faculty and staff.

Harebo rounds out a team that includes Chief Diversity Officer Dwight Hamilton and Director of Multicultural Affairs L’Tanya Richmond. The three will host an open house Thursday, Sept. 17, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in College Hall 302.

Hamilton said the office’s name change reflects the goal of creating an inclusive campus.

“Diversity can only truly be a benefit if you create an inclusive environment,” he said. “An inclusive community promotes and sustains a sense of belonging by valuing and respecting everyone’s talents, beliefs, backgrounds and ways of living.”

Hamilton said Harebo “brings a tremendous amount of experience” and “a background rich in the skills needed to help improve our campus climate.”

Richmond said she is also looking forward to working with Harebo to address campus needs, adding, “I look forward to Sarah becoming part of the Smith team and the opportunity to continue to support and empower Smith students.”

Here’s what Harebo had to say about being the college’s point person on Title IX.

What drew you to the position at Smith?
Harebo: “I got my undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That’s where I was first introduced to women’s studies and where first I heard about Smith. I made the decision to go to law school, and after I earned my degree at Penn State, I started doing work in the domestic violence field and in family law. Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to form a state coalition against domestic violence. I supported lobbying efforts and policy work for the member programs of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. I started delving into Title IX issues after passage of amendments to the federal Violence Against Women Act and the legislative update known as the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act. I felt Smith, as a place that’s about empowering women, would be more receptive to those issues than other institutions.”

What are your main duties as the college’s Title IX coordinator?
Harebo: “A major responsibility is monitoring compliance with all of the requirements of Title IX. I will also be leading the Sexual Assault Response Team. I will be coordinating investigations and working on prevention programming. I’ve been meeting with key players, such as Campus Police and Jennifer Suhl, the assistant district attorney who handles domestic and sexual violence in Western Mass. I plan to meet with the other Title IX coordinators in the Five College network. It’s really important to have those relationships in place. If a student comes in with a problem, I want to be sure they have all the resources and support they need.”

Most people associate Title IX with sex discrimination in sports. But the federal law covers far more than that.
Harebo: “Title IX is designed to be a general statement about sex discrimination, similar to the way ‘liberty’ is a broad statement in the Constitution. Back in the 1990s, students at Antioch College in Ohio began talking about issues of consent and “Saturday Night Live” made fun of them. Now there’s a movement around sexual violence and an awareness that sexual and other types of violence fall under Title IX. Perceptions are changing in ways that make a difference to the victims who are coming forward. One of the things I feel gets hidden in conversations about Title IX is how it applies to same-sex relationships. Domestic violence can look different in same-sex relationships and people often don’t think that abuse occurs among same-sex couples. I want to make sure that gets addressed. The transgender community also experiences violence, and we need to be talking about what that looks like and how to address the needs of that community.”

What role can Smith play in the broader national discussion about sexual violence on college campuses?
Harebo: “Smith is in a unique position. Most of the focus of this discussion has been on co-ed institutions, and sexual violence has largely been ignored on single-sex campuses. We can help put Smith at the forefront of dealing with these issues. My office at the Pennsylvania coalition was right next to the offices of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. All of my colleagues from my years working in the domestic violence movement were really excited I was coming to Smith.”

What specific initiatives will you be working on in the near future?
Harebo: “I’m excited about teaming up with Wellness Education Director Emily Nagoski to roll out some training initiatives about healthy relationships. I also want to set up office hours in places other than College Hall so I can be more available to students. I don’t want students to think I’m here only to talk about complaints. They can talk with me about anything having to do with Title IX. I’m hoping to make students part of new violence prevention efforts at Smith. This is a very active campus, where students are aware and involved. It’s fun to have that energy to work with.”

Members of Smith's Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (from left), Chief Diversity Officer Dwight Hamilton, Multicultural Affairs Director L'Tanya Richmond and Title IX Coordinator Sarah Harebo.