The University of Portland has hired Amanda Hanincik from Grand River Solutions as the new full-time Title IX coordinator. With over 14 years of experience, Hanincik will oversee Title IX reports remotely from Pennsylvania and serve as an independent third-party adviser.
According to Jeromy Koffler, the director of student activities and Title IX administrator, Hanincik’s hiring follows repeated turnover in the Title IX coordinator role, driven by declining enrollment and budget cuts. Haninick’s expertise also arrives at a critical time as UP and over 700 universities nationwide face a federal injunction that hinders them from updating their Title IX regulations.
Prior to working at Grand River, Hanincik served as the director of educational equity and the Title IX coordinator at Lafayette College. However, she left that role in September and transitioned to working at UP, where she is excited to use her expertise.
“To be honest, I wasn't looking to leave Lafayette,” Hanincik said. “I was happy there. Things were great. But the idea of challenging myself in a new way and working with multiple institutions and different states, different policies, different laws, it was appealing to me.”
As UP’s Title IX coordinator, Hanincik assists students and faculty with complaints related to sex-based discrimination. She also trains the athletic department and resident assistants on Title IX protocol.
“It’s such difficult work that it’s hard to say that I like it,” Haninick said. “But I feel like I'm good at it. I'm objective. I'm impartial. I'm able to really maintain that balance in making sure that everyone’s treated properly in the process.”
Hanincik’s expertise has also been crucial in helping UP navigate Title IX policies amid federal injunctions.
According to Inside Higher Ed, these federal injunctions bar any institutions attended by members of three conservative organizations — Moms for Liberty, Female Athletes United and Young America’s Foundation — from implementing their updated Title IX regulations, which would strengthen protections of LGBTQ+ and parenting students.
While UP has minimal options until the injunctions are lifted, the University has prepared updated Title IX regulations that are ready to be enforced when permitted, according to Hanincik.
She does not conduct investigations or student-conduct hearings, however, Hanincik works closely with Koffler to contact all personnel related to a report.
Koffler, who liaises between Hanincik, Grand River and various campus departments, is excited to welcome Haninick and hopes that students will utilize her as a neutral, third-party resource.
“One of the challenges of having an employee as a Title IX coordinator is that sometimes students would be suspicious that the Title IX coordinator was beholden to the human resources office or to the legal aspects of the university,” Koffler said. “We get a qualified expert who is separated from the University in a very appropriate way, and so students know that this person is somebody that they can trust.”
Student groups, such as Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), had a close relationship with former Title IX Coordinator Anne James and interim Title IX Administrator Tammy Herdener before their departures from the University. They look forward to fostering a close relationship with Hanincik to best support the UP community on Title IX related issues.
“I think it [is] important for us to have some contact with Amanda, for sure,” Co-president Reese Baker said. “...We just haven't really gotten around to doing that contact yet… [but] it's really important for us to see, like what she's doing [as the new coordinator]...”
Those with Title IX related concerns can reach Hanincik at titleix@up.edu.
Kaylee Monahan is a news/sports reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at monahan26@up.edu.
