Title IX conference includes free, pre-conference session

Grand Valley will host a regional Title IX Investigation Conference for K-12 and college/university employees that includes a free, pre-conference session open to the public.

The two-day conference is May 1-2 at the DeVos Center. Workshop sessions and roundtable discussions will focus on investigator content, interviewing skill enhancement, case preparation and policy implementation. Cost to attend the conference is $175 and includes meals and snacks; to register or view details, visit gvsu.edu/titleix/conference.

The free, pre-conference session on April 30, from 5-6 p.m., features Lilia Cortina, professor of psychology and women's studies, and management and organizations at the University of Michigan. Cortina is the principal investigator for Research in the Gender and Respect in Organizations (GRO) lab, which addresses gender, sex-based harassment and incivility in the workplace.

Cortina's presentation, "#MeToo: From a Moment to a Movement," will be in the DeVos Center, Loosemore Auditorium. No registration is necessary.

Cortina will discuss how the term "sexual harassment" is misleading, as she contends the harassment has little to do with sexuality but rather gender. Cortina will highlight her research on gender harassment, where it occurs and the type of employees who engage in it.

Cortina is the author of more than 50 articles published in academic journals and a contributor to a report, "Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering and Medicine."