Meet Director Mary Zabriskie and Assistant Director Mindy Kinnaman of SIUE’s Equal Opportunity/Title IX Team

Meet Director Mary Zabriskie and Assistant Director Mindy Kinnaman of SIUE's Equal Opportunity/Title IX Team

April 17, 2024, 4:35 PM

On February 1, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville appointed Mary Zabriskie, JD, as director and Mindy Kinnaman, EdD, as assistant director of the Equal Opportunity, Access, and Title IX Coordination office.

Zabriskie comes to role after more than 15 years of leading diverse teams, at multiple institutions, locally and nationwide, on the collaborative development and implementation of policies that address employee and student issues of concern including equal opportunity and non-discrimination efforts.

"It is impossible to create positive change alone. I'm impressed by the caliber and commitment demonstrated by leadership, colleagues and students I have had the pleasure of working with at SIUE since arriving in an interim role in August. I look forward to seeing initiatives underway come to fruition," said Zabriskie. "This is especially true of the efforts of the talented new EOA team who came to work together in a matter of a few months."

Throughout her career in higher education, Mary has focused on engaging key stakeholders in all aspects of policy development and implementation in both Title IX and Title VII (sex-based discrimination), ADA/504 (disability discrimination), Equal Employment Opportunity, and other areas of equity compliance.

Zabriskie has also put her expertise to use in the areas of behavioral intervention teams, campus threat assessment and the development of educational programming and resources as required by the Violence Against Women Act.

"This work provides a unique opportunity to bring civil rights mandates to life through the development of inclusive practices that positively impact the student experience," said Zabriskie.

Kinnaman serves as an investigator on discrimination complaints shared with the EOA office. She provides outreach and supportive resources so that the individuals know what their options are and know where to get additional assistance if needed.

"In addition to Mary's vision for the office, I have personal goals driving the work that I do," said Kinnaman. "With regard to my work on Title IX, sexual harassment, or bias incidents, I want to ensure that any person with whom I work will feel supported, heard, and valued."

Kinnaman reviews hiring to ensure that equitable practices are being followed, and coordinates the current Equity Advisor Program, which will be evolving into the Equity Consultant Program this fall.

"I also have responsibilities tied to equitable hiring practices," said Kinnaman. "My goal is to make the hiring process as easy as possible for anyone serving as a hiring manager or search committee chair."

"We will be rolling out Equity Consultants in the fall semester, and my hope is that we are able to provide ideas and support to ensure that SIUE is hiring a diverse group of employees at all levels."

In addition to Zabriskie and Kinnaman, the EOA team consists of Melissa Bigtas, MSW, LSW, coordinator of the Prevention Education and Advocacy Center (PEACe) and office manager Benedict Kaminski.

PHOTO: Mary Zabriskie, JD; Mindy Kinnaman, EdD