As Lee University continues to change, so do the faculty and staff. Kelsey Baker, the newly appointed Title IX Coordinator, begins her position with excitement and a passion for serving students.
Baker’s main goal is to contribute to the culture here at Lee by letting students know that the Office of Student Care is a safe space to come in and talk about anything that they've experienced and to receive a supportive response.
“Their stories really matter to us, we take their experiences really seriously and we care,” said Baker.
She believes that if students are able to feel safe in sharing their stories with her then she has done her job well.
“Kelsey's commitment to caring for students is one of the aspects that I believe will make her a great Title IX Coordinator. There are so many legal and administrative pieces to Title IX that I think she will do well with, but more important than those things, students have to feel safe and comfortable talking to you about difficult circumstances…I believe Kelsey does a great job of creating an environment for students to feel those things,” said Jarad Russell, Director of Residential Life and Housing.
Baker’s favorite part of working at Lee has been in getting to assist students in every capacity they may require assistance from academic support to emotional support.
“I saw her positively impact many students during her time with the Hub. As an employee of hers, it was obvious that she cared about my growth, my feelings, and my input” said Whitney Thompson, coordinator for coaching and mentoring with the Hub, “She ensures the people around her feel supported.”
The Title IX Coordinator along with the Office of Student Care provides students that have been witnesses to or be victims of an uncomfortable situation a place to come and be heard.
“I know that Kelsey will continue to build on that foundation and continue working to create safe spaces for students,” Russell said.
Coming in person to file an order may feel overwhelming or intimidating for students that have experienced or witnessed uncomfortable situations.
The Office of Student Care provides allows students to file anonymously or fill out a report on their Portico page without having to come into their office.
“I've been really impressed by the students that we've worked with through our office and just their resilience and the grace that they've shown throughout their process of coming here and working with us,” said Baker. “So, I think there's a lot of those moments that stick out to you and make some of the challenging days really meaningful when you get to kind of see just the stuff that students bring forward.”
The Office of Student Care hopes that students would take the necessary precautions when approaching situations where they may not feel safe and to take advantage of campus security.
“I think it's important for freshmen to know that Lee is generally a very safe campus. We have a very safe and supportive culture, but we know that no campus and no person is immune to experiences like this,” said Baker.
The Office of Student Care highlighted resources during the month of April, which is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. These resources will be available to access on their Portico page or on their Instagram @leeustudentcare.
For more information about local resources to assist with advocacy, health care, mental care, and legal assistance click the link here.
