Bridget Le Loup Collier has been appointed to serve as interim associate provost and director of the Office for Equal Opportunity Programs, with duties including oversight of Title IX compliance.
Collier will take on the new position on Jan. 24, when current Title IX Coordinator Sarah Wake will depart for a new role as associate general counsel at Northwestern University.
As dean of students and senior director of student engagement at the Graham School for Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies, Collier has overseen the support of diverse student enrollments and enhanced the experience of students through coordination of support services and staff development. Her duties included ensuring the school’s compliance with state and federal requirements including Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Provost Daniel Diermeier said Collier will provide leadership on issues of sexual misconduct and equal opportunity as the University begins a national search for a permanent associate provost.
“In recent years the University has made important strides in advancing our ongoing commitment to addressing issues related to sexual misconduct,” Diermeier said. “Bridget brings over 16 years of higher education administrative experience in program improvement, crisis response and student development. I am grateful that she has agreed to help continue our progress on these issues.”
Before joining UChicago in May of 2015, Collier served as chief of staff to the president and Title IX coordinator at Roosevelt University, managing compliance at an institution with more than 5,000 students. She is the founder and chair of the Chicagoland Title IX Consortium, an organization of 35 higher education institutions that seeks to enhance knowledge, understanding and application of Title IX policies and resources to advance gender parity and reduce sexual misconduct.
“The purpose of this role is to uphold the University’s standards of excellence so all members of our community can reach their full potential in an environment free of discrimination, sexual misconduct or harassment,” Collier said. “Sarah Wake has brought people together around these issues in a community-driven way, and I will strive to continue that effective approach.”
Collier holds a master’s of education in counseling and student affairs from Northern Arizona University and a doctorate in education and higher education administration from the University of Southern California. In her interim role, she has responsibility for coordinating University-wide compliance with UChicago’s Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct, with oversight of investigations performed under that policy, including Title IX investigations. She also will oversee the University’s compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and will serve as equal opportunity coordinator and affirmative action officer, coordinating outreach to veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Diermeier thanked Wake for her leadership as Title IX coordinator, noting that she was “instrumental in strengthening University policy and leading a number of compliance improvements.” Among many advances during her tenure, the office has formed a student advisory board for sexual misconduct and has worked closely with advocacy groups and other stakeholders. Under Wake’s guidance the office also implemented mandatory sexual misconduct training for the entire UChicago community.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
