Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Hires New Title IX Coordinator

Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences announced the appointment of Danielle E. Farrell as Assistant Director of Student Affairs earlier this month.

In her new role, Farrell will serve as a Title IX coordinator for the roughly 4,000 Ph.D. and masters students enrolled in GSAS. Seth Avakian, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ officer for Title IX and professional conduct, also works with graduate students to provide information about, and enforce, the University’s Title IX procedures.

Harvard’s 12 schools employ more than 50 coordinators to oversee the University’s compliance with Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual harassment.

Farrell previously worked as a Title IX coordinator at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education. She held a similar role at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. At GSAS, she will fill the position previously held by Caysie A. Carter, who moved to the University's central Title IX office this year.

In the GSAS statement announcing Farrell’s appointment, Avakian said he “look[s] forward to learning from her previous experience at DCE.”

Farrell and Avakian will spend the fall organizing focus groups to evaluate the Title IX training offered to students and staff within GSAS. The online module forms part of a University-wide effort to implement recommendations from a 2016 task force on sexual assault prevention, which called for trainings for students, faculty, and staff. Earlier this year, Harvard College required undergraduates to complete its own version of online Title IX training before they were able to enroll in courses.

Farrell wrote in an email she is excited about working with Avakian.

“I am partnering with Seth Avakian on our online and in-person trainings, with an aim of reaching more departments this year,” she wrote. “I am looking forward to serving as a supportive resource for students to ensure that they understand their options and are able to do their best work at Harvard. Overall, I want to set them up for success as students and after they graduate.”

—Staff writer Shera S. Avi-Yonah can be reached at shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saviyonah.