About Us
Leadership
Laura Harlow
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
Education
- MS, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington
- BS, Public Relations, Missouri State University
- Certified Affirmative Action Professional (CAAP), American Association for Access Equity and Diversity
- NASPA Law and Policy Certificate, NASPA Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education
- Mental Health First Aid Certification, National Council for Behavioral Health
- Title IX Coordinator Certification, National Association of College and University Attorneys
- Title IX Investigation Certification(s), Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA)
Biography
Laura is a native of St. Louis, MO. She joined IU South Bend in 2014 as Director of Student Conduct within the Division of Student Engagement and Success. She was named Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence in March 2019, after holding interim responsibilities from 2015-2016 as the campus Deputy Title IX Coordinator. Laura serves on a number of campus committees and initiatives, and is also the contact for ADA coordination for the campus.
Laura has served as an adjunct faculty in the School of Education and has overseen a number of University grants advancing the student experience on campus. Laura is currently pursuing her PhD at Indiana State University in Higher Education Administration. Her primary doctoral research focuses on building deep civility on college campuses today, most notably the impact of faculty, staff, and community members on student activism.
Contact Information
Administration Building 234
(574) 520-5536
Values
- Empathy: We listen to all concerns without judgement and seek to understand individuals from their individual frames.
- Equality: We strive to meet the needs of individuals we serve in a timely manner, with respect, and fairness.
- Inclusion: We are committed to deep civility and ensuring our campus is a place where all individuals feel welcome.
- Collaboration: We build and maintain meaningful relationships across campus to help foster an inclusive environment in all areas of the IU South Bend experience.
Vision
The Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence envisions campus where all individuals have equal opportunity in their pursuit of excellence, eliminating and rising above social and structural barriers to equality.
Mission
The mission of the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence is dedicated to uncovering inequities in faculty/staff/student success, with a commitment to a fair and equitable process.
Oversee the University Title VII and IX Policy
Indiana University prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender in its educational programs and activities. Discrimination on the basis of sex or gender is also prohibited by federal laws, including Title VII and Title IX. The Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence monitors all reports of sexual misconduct or gender based discrimination. We coordinate all intakes for complaints, interim measures, investigations, and policy enforcement for the campus.
For more information on Indiana University’s stance on sexual violence please visit: https://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/
The University Policy on Sexual Misconduct can be found at: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/ua-03-discrimination-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/index.html
Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the policy of Indiana University to recruit, hire, promote, educate, and provide services to persons based upon their individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on arbitrary considerations of such characteristics as age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Indiana University takes affirmative action, positive and extraordinary, to overcome the discriminatory effects of traditional policies and procedures with regard to people with disabilities, minorities, women, and veterans.
Complaints and Grievances Based on a Protected Class
Indiana University South Bend is dedicated to creating a welcoming community whose mission is to educate and help people grow, develop, and learn. We can only do this in an open environment free from discrimination and harassment. That’s why IU has put into practice equal opportunity and affirmative action policies and procedures that prohibit harassment or discrimination based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender (including sexual harassment), marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
If you believe that you may have been treated unfairly due to an issue falling under the jurisdiction of the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence, bring the matter to the attention of the Director. The Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence , Deputy Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Coordinator will discuss options available to you. They range from informal off-the-record discussion to the filing of a formal complaint. The complaint process is carefully designed to respect the rights of all parties concerned.
Because these matters are of significant importance to the overall health of the campus, the Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence , Deputy Sexual Misconduct & Title IX Coordinator reports directly to the Chancellor. Do not hesitate to make use of the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence if the need should arise. Suggestions for improving IU South Bend affirmative action policies and procedures are welcomed; contact the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence in the Administration Building Room 234, Administration.
The Office of Affirmative Action has been charged with investigating complaints of discrimination or harassment brought by students, faculty, staff, or visitors to the university. Our complaint procedures place a strong emphasis on resolving complaints informally in a fair, prompt, and confidential manner. If the issue isn't resolved, then formal procedures are available.
In general, complaints should be investigated by the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence on the campus where the complaint originated. However, complaints against the chancellor of any campus will be investigated by the University Director of Institutional Equity on the Bloomington campus.
For more information or to make a complaint on the IU South Bend campus, contact:
Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence
Administration Building 234
Phone: 574-520-5536
For filing complaints or finding supportive resources related to sexual violence, visit https://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/ or other misconduct by faculty, staff, a vendor, or other party contact Laura Harlow at 574-520-5536 or lewhitne@iusb.edu
Workplace Accommodations
If a faculty or staff member needs assistance with the interactive process of accommodations, the Office of Institutional Equity can assist with facilitating review of the accommodation requests and working with the employee’s supervisor to determine what is a reasonable accommodation.
For more information on the ADA Policy for IU please visit: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/ua-02-americans-disability-act/index.html
Outreach and Continuing Education
At Indiana University South Bend, the Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence is a leader, a partner and a resource for educating the community and creating dialogues about equal opportunity, affirmative action and inclusive excellence. We work to prevent harassment, discrimination and retaliation as well as to assure the provision of reasonable accommodations for disability and religion.
IU South Bend Committee Commitments:
- IU South Bend Title IX Committee
- IU-wide Student Welfare Prevention and Education Committee
- IU-wide Student Welfare Policy Committee
- IU South Bend Diversity Advisory Committee and Working Group
- IU South Bend Behavioral Intervention Team
Program and Workshop Offerings include but are not limited to:
- Search and Screen Trainings on Bias
- BRAVE Bystander Intervention Training for students
- Inclusive Pedagogy Techniques and Considerations
- Identity development workshops
- Diversity Awareness Profile (DAP) assessment tool
- Responsible Employee training
Privacy
The university is committed to safeguarding the privacy of the parties in a manner consistent with the objective to effectively investigate and prevent incidents of sexual misconduct and discrimination. In all cases, the university will share the parties’ information and details of the allegation only with university officials, law enforcement personnel, and other individuals who have a legitimate administrative or legal reason to be so informed. Records will not be disclosed outside the university unless required by law or subpoena.
All individuals with knowledge of an alleged incident of sexual misconduct or discrimination are expected to safeguard the privacy of those involved and should refrain from discussing the incident with anyone other than appropriate university officials and law enforcement.
Responsible vs. Confidential Employees
Responsible Employee:
For information on responsible employees and their duty to report, please visit the Responsible Employee’s tab here: https://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/employee/responsibilities.html
Confidential Employee:
Certain university employees – based on their own professional licensure and the nature of their role on campus – have been identified by the university as Confidential Employees and are available to speak with individuals about incidents of sexual misconduct and maintain the individual’s desire for anonymity and confidentiality. These Confidential Employees are exempt from the reporting requirements that apply to Responsible Employees (as outlined in Indiana University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/ua-03-discrimination-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct/index.html). Individuals who desire anonymity in discussing and seeking assistance about sexual misconduct should contact and/or be referred to a Confidential Employee.
The university’s Confidential Employees include, but are not limited to:
- Licensed, professional mental health counselors working in that capacity, and those they supervise; IU South Bend Student Counseling Center ( https://students.iusb.edu/student-support-services/counseling-center/index.html)
- Health care professionals and staff located in on-campus health care centers; IU South Bend Health and Wellness Center https://healthscience.iusb.edu/health-and-wellness-center/index.html
- Any staff or specialists on a campus specifically designated as non-professional sexual assault advocates; either the IU South Bend Counseling Center or the IU South Bend Health and Center
