Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits any person in the United States from being discriminated against on the basis of sex in seeking access to any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. South Arkansas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its educational programs, activities, admissions practices, or employment.
Members of the SouthArk community, guests, and visitors have the right to be free from sexual harassment and misconduct, examples of which can include acts of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. All members of SouthArk are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of others.
SouthArk’s sex/gender harassment, discrimination, and misconduct policies are not meant to inhibit or prohibit educational content or discussions inside or outside of the classroom that include controversial or sensitive subject matters protected by academic freedom or free speech. Academic freedom extends to topics that are pedagogically appropriate and germane to the subject matter of courses or that touch on academic exploration of matters of public concern.
SouthArk uses the preponderance of the evidence (also known as “more likely than not”) as a standard of proof of whether a violation occurred. In campus resolution proceedings legal terms like guilt, innocence and burdens of proof are not applicable, but SouthArk never assumes a responding party is in violation of college policy. Campus resolution proceedings are conducted to take into account the totality of all evidence available from all relevant sources.
Go to a safe location, and if injured, seek immediate medical attention. If you are sexually assaulted, you may seek assistance by contacting the following:
| Public Safety | 870-864-7125 |
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♥ Akouo Counseling |
870-403-7868 |
| ♥Newhaven Counseling and Health Services |
870-862-7921 After Hours/Emergency 1-800-825-1554 |
| Vice President for Student Services | 870-864-7128 |
| ♥Turning Point Crisis Line | 1-870-862-0929 |
| ♥Women's Crisis Center of South Arkansas | 870-836-0375 |
| ♥Compassion's Foundation | Hotline 870-235-1414 (24⁄7) |
| Title IX Coordinator | 870-875-7235 |
| El Dorado Police Department | 911 for emergency, 870-863-4141 |
| Legal Aid of Arkansas | 1-800-9 LAW AID (1-800-952-9243) |
| Arkansas Law Help | Call the Helpline: 1-888-540-2941 TTY: 711 or 800-285-1131 |
| El Dorado Union County Victims Assistance | 870-863-8762 |
| ♥National Sexual Assault Hotline | 1.800.656.HOPE(4673) |
| ♥National Domestic Violence Hotline | 1.800.799.SAFE(7233) |
| ♥National Suicide Prevention Hotline | 1.800.273.8255 or 988 |
| National Human Trafficking Hotline | Call 1-888-373-7888 ( TTY: 711)|*Text 233733 |Live Chat |
Blue light emergency phones are located between the McGehee Classroom Building and the Workforce Development Building on East Campus.
If you are off campus and in an emergency situation, call the El Dorado Police Department (911). You may also report the assault directly to the El Dorado Police Department or with the assistance of SouthArk Campus Security Staff.
- Title IX Coordinator (Vanessa Williams) or Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Hearing Officer/Decision Maker (Brandi Cotterman, Interim Director, Human Resources)
- Vacant, Vice President for Student Services
- Dr. Stephanie Tully-Dartez, Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Michael C. Armstrong, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Appeals Officer
Responsible Employees
Responsible employees are expected to report all incidents of sex/gender-based misconduct that are reported to them to the Title IX Coordinator. They may do so by clicking on the "Make a Report" button below. SouthArk's responsible employees are:
- Michael Armstrong, Vice President for Finance and Administration/Appeals Officer
- Dr. Stephanie Tully-Dartez, Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Vacant, Vice President for Student Services
- Brandi Cotterman, Deputy Title IX Coordinator/Lead Decision Maker/Hearing Officer/Interim Human Resources Director
Listed below are the addresses and contact information for SouthArk's Title IX Coordinator as well as the Office of Civil Rights office for our area:
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Vanessa Williams
Title IX Coordinator
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Office for Civil Rights
Dallas Office
U.S. Department of Education
1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620
Dallas, TX 75201-6810 Telephone: (214) 661-9600 Facsimile: (214) 661-9587 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
| SouthArk Investigative Team | |
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Caitlyn Lynn, Advisor Gary Hall, Advisor |
Brandi Cotterman, Interim Human Resources Director |
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Benjamin Cagle, Instructional Technology Coordinator |
Cynthia Meyer, Dean, Health Sciences This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 870-864-7171 Lead Investigator, Deputy Title IX Coordinator |
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Teresa Hampton, Admissions Specialist
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Jayna Winiecki, Registrar
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How much do you know about stalking? Visit the Stalking Resource Center. |
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Take the pledge to help end sexual assault here. |
Check out this video from TED talks by Tony Porter entitled: |
Consent must be freely given. Watch this video from itsonus.org for more information. |
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Watch this video for more information on consent. Watch this video by Cornell on Bystander Intervention. |
SouthArk's Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure Booklet: Title IX: Addressing Interpersonal Violence. Handout for Victims or Complainants |
Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence VINELink is an online portal to the victim notification network providing victims and concerned citizens with information, can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide the most reliable information for custody status changes and criminal case information. |
A SMARTPHONE RESOURCE GUIDE FOR THE SOUTHARK COMMUNITY
"Reach Out – College Edition” is a free smartphone resource guide, and since it's an app, Reach Out is convenient and private. You'll never be asked for any identifying information, so using Reach Out is completely anonymous.
INFORMATION THAT'S SPECIFIC TO SOUTHARK’S CAMPUS
Each resource includes a description, complete contact details, and hours. Subcategories make it easy to find resources at the local, state, and national levels.
South Arkansas College utilizes materials from SUNY for annual training requirements for our Title IX team. For more information, please visit https://system.suny.edu/sci/postedtraining.
