Following a series of recent administrative changes at Pomona College and Scripps College, the Title IX coordinators at both schools left their roles this month. On Oct. 13, Scripps Title IX Coordinator Sara Miller stepped down from her position. The following week, on Oct. 25, Pomona Title IX Coordinator Erica Moorer Taylor left her role.
School administrators announced both changes to the student bodies over email. Pomona Dean of Students Avis Hinkson said that Moorer Taylor would be transferring to a new job at Grand River Solutions after working with Pomona since Dec. 2021. Miller also left to take on a new job, as well as to be closer to family, according to the announcement email sent by Sha Bradley, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. She had been with Scripps since the fall of 2020.
Both schools stated they would soon begin the search for new Title IX coordinators and appointed administrators to fill the position in the meantime.
While Scripps finalizes who their interim coordinator will be, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Adriana di Bartolo-Beckman will serve as acting Title IX coordinator. Di Bartolo-Beckman has served in this role before, said Scripps Advocates Head Cecilia Blum SC ’24.
Associate Dean of Students and Campus Life Josh Eisenberg, who will take over as interim at Pomona, is new to the role. Moorer Taylor will assist him in an advisory capacity, said Pomona Campus Advocate Ziona King PO ’25.
“[She will be] doing things on the back end, like being a support and a resource to him if he has questions or wants to clarify things, so still in his ear making sure things are maintained well,” King said.
Despite Eisenberg’s and di Bartolo-Beckman’s qualifications, some students at both Pomona and Scripps were apprehensive of the idea of a current administrator taking over the position of Title IX coordinator.
“I think it’s just hard because [di Bartolo- Beckman] has a full-time job,” Blum said. “There’s just no way that a person can do two full-time jobs, especially when one of those jobs is something as important as dealing with sexual assault and misconduct.”
Pomona Campus Advocate Eleanor Farry PO ’25 also shared her concerns with the interim position.
“My only hope is that the process of hiring is speedy and that they find someone who can be a full-time person,” Farry said. “It’s not great to have just an interim person in the position of Title IX coordinator.”
The search for a new Title IX coordinator at Pomona will take into account student feedback by opening interviews to students, according to Farry. Students will receive information about these over email.
“It would be really great if a lot of students could come [to the interviews], because I know a lot of people on campus are obviously really passionate about this stuff and really care,” Farry said.
King added that student feedback is the first thing the college considers when hiring administrators.
Hinkson stated in an email to TSL that Pomona “hope[s] to have the position filled by the beginning of the spring 2024 semester.”
Scripps has not set a specific timeline for filling the position, although Bradley said in an email to TSL that the search “will commence as soon as possible” and usually takes about three to four months.
The Pomona Campus Advocate hotline is (909) 905 0035. The Scripps College Warm Line is (909) 607-2000.