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Sarah Harebo has been named vice president of equal opportunity, accessibility, and Title IX, , executive vice president for strategy and special counsel to the president, announced today. 

, an attorney and a longtime Title IX coordinator, has served as interim vice president of equal opportunity, accessibility, and Title IX since August. She started in the new role on April 8 and reports to Stephen.

The vice president leads the, which works to ensure equity for the ���϶ij� community and compliance with laws related to discrimination and harassment, including the Americans With Disabilities Act, affirmative action programs, and Title IX, which prohibits gender-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.

“Sarah has dedicated herself to getting to know ���϶ij� and building partnerships across campus,” Stephen says. “Her collaborative approach, and her experience, place her in an excellent position to advance the vital mission of the Equal Opportunity, Accessibility, and Title IX Office, which touches every aspect of university life.” 

Before joining ���϶ij�, Harebo was director of Title IX and equity services for Grand River Solutions, a California-based consulting firm that helps colleges, universities, and other organizations achieve their compliance goals. Prior to that, she had served as director of Title IX and Clery compliance and investigations with the University of Wisconsin system, director of equal opportunity for the University of Maine system, and Title IX coordinator and institutional equity officer at Smith College. Previously, she was a staff attorney with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Harrisburg and the YWCA Greater Harrisburg Domestic Violence Legal Center.

Harebo holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of Wisconsin–Madison, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Northeastern University, and a law degree from Penn State Dickinson Law. She is pursuing a PhD in educational leadership and policy analysis through University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Harebo, who describes ���϶ij� as “a very special place,” says she’s looking forward to the work that lies ahead, such as expanding opportunities for the community to learn about what resources her office offers.

“The new administration is really exciting, and it’s an exciting time for ���϶ij�,” she says. “It’s very palpable that people are ready to make lots of positive changes.”

Harebo’s grounding in the law, combined with her understanding that students and employees “are in a vulnerable place when they come to talk to us,” enables her to strike an important balance in the work, says , assistant vice president for equity and compliance and Title IX coordinator.

“It’s not just a compliance role. There is a human aspect to all of this,” Clemens says. “I’m excited to see where she takes us.”