To the editor:

Re “Title IX hiring process failed to involve students enough” (Editorial, Oct. 17)

While the editorial makes a valid point about the scheduling of candidate presentations, student engagement in the search process was not limited to these workshops.

If I had been contacted about the nature of student involvement in the search, I would have shared that at the end of the spring semester, students were invited to meet with the search consultant to discuss what they would like to see in a Deputy Title IX coordinator/investigator. This diverse group of students included first years, seniors, and graduate students. Additionally, a similar group of students was invited to a small group interview with candidates during the on-campus visits. Both groups consisted of students who had previously expressed interest in the college’s work on Title IX and included members of the Student Government Association, fraternities and sororities, and individual students who were unaffiliated with particular organizations.

The editorial board’s intention to highlight the need for student engagement around Title IX is appreciated. Regretfully, the information presented in the Oct. 17 editorial was incomplete.

Sylvia Spears is the vice president for equity and social justice at Emerson College’s Social Justice Center.