Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe has appointed Chad Martinez as director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination. He assumes his new duties effective July 1.
Martinez arrives on the SIUE campus after serving as an equity officer in Saint Louis University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity since 2010. He was the deputy Title IX coordinator and was on the Sexual Assault Working Group that adopted a new policy to address instances of sexual assault involving students. He served on the President’s Diversity Council and led that Council during 2012. He was also the federal government’s primary contact during an audit of the University’s affirmative action plan. He has investigated and mediated concerns of discrimination and harassment involving students, faculty and staff.
“Chad Martinez has a wealth of experience in both public and private higher education, as well as in the private business sector,” Furst-Bowe said. “He brings a strong background in ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) oversight, Title IX compliance, online program development, complaint resolution and affirmative action leadership to the position. The implementation of training for sexual assault reporting will be a priority in the coming year.”
“I want to thank Chancellor Furst-Bowe for this opportunity and appreciated working through the process with search chair Earleen Patterson and the committee,” said Martinez.
A native of Saginaw, Mich., Martinez has worked for several institutions during the last decade. Along with SLU, he has worked at Purdue University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in expanding roles committed to equal opportunity and access. He has developed and delivered programming, presentations and trainings to faculty, students and staff on the topics of discrimination, harassment, disability accommodation, affirmative action, diversity awareness, cultural competency, and sexual assault prevention and awareness.
While at the University of Illinois from 2006-2010, Martinez was an assistant director within the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. He was responsible for ADA compliance and was co-chair of the chancellor’s Committee on Access and Accommodation.
At Purdue from 2003-06, Martinez served as assistant director for conflict resolution in the Affirmative Action Office. He investigated and prepared University responses to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges of discrimination and harassment.
Martinez began his professional career as a human rights specialist with St. Paul Human Rights in St. Paul, Minn. He managed complaint investigations and assisted contractors with developing affirmative action plans.
Under the direction of the chancellor’s office, SIUE’s Office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination was previously known as the Office of Institutional Compliance. “This new departmental name more accurately reflects the responsibilities of the department, as well as SIUE’s commitment to equitable treatment, inclusion and compliance with the law,” said Furst-Bowe.
Martinez will replace assistant chancellor Paul Pitts, who will retire at the end of June.
Martinez presently resides in Collinsville. He earned a bachelor’s in general studies from the University of Michigan and a juris doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1997.
Photo: SIUE’s Chad Martinez, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination.