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Consultation and prevention of domestic disputes for students is a key aspect of cultivating a safe space on any college campus. At the College of St. Scholastica, the Violence Intervention and Prevention Coordinator (VIP) position has been vacant since budget cuts led to its removal in 2024.
The VIP position, previously held by Michelle Ruszat Klee, focused on supporting students who were victims-survivors of domestic crimes such as stalking, harassment, and most notably, gender-based violence such as sexual assault. Michelle’s departure from the position is one of the many budget cuts made due to financial restraints the college has been dealing with in the past few years. As a result of this, these responsibilities have been delegated throughout the administration, specifically in the Title IX department.
According to the Title IX coordinator, Kelly Durick Eder, “In 2024 the college was facing some financial challenges. As part of how we needed to solve those financial challenges, several positions at the institution were eliminated, including this Health Promotion and Violence Prevention Coordinator.” Eder added, “So how that decision was made was a long and careful review of all the position and departmental needs within Student Affairs.”
Although some students have expressed concern that the elimination of a dedicated coordinator could weaken campus safety, Eder emphasized that programming and support services have not been reduced. The non-salary budget previously allocated to the position was transferred to the Title IX office to continue funding violence prevention and intervention initiatives. “We’re maintaining those resources,” Eder said. The Title IX office is now partnering with counseling and health services on a new monthly programming series aimed at reducing stigma and encouraging students to report incidents of relationship violence or sexual assault.
Eder’s dedication to ensuring student safety on campus hinges on this concept of delegation and collaboration, specifically, “...working with counseling services and health services, and we’re starting an initiative to where those offices are all going to be working together, and we’re going to start doing some monthly programming to make sure that we’re out in the community of students and uplifting those important VIP programs.”
Moreover, Eder highlighted the importance of this campus-wide solidarity, “...this continual education, not just for our students, but for our faculty and staff, so that they know what resources are available for our students, and they know how the Title IX process works.”
By: Oliver Heck
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