Rach Named KU Employee of the Month for December 2024
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Congratulations to Jenni Rach, associate director of Student Conduct, on being named Kutztown University Employee of the Month for December 2024.
Rach’s nomination from Mike Demetor, associate dean of students, Student Conduct, and Bradley Davis, director of Equity and Compliance and Title IX coordinator, reads:
Demetor:
“Jenni is an indispensable member of the Dean of Students Office who quietly, but expertly, works with students dealing with some of the most challenging situations one could face while in college.
The leadership exhibited by Jenni in managing investigations related to sexual misconduct has been exemplary. While dealing with multiple and complex situations that involve internal and external constituents, Jenni has been able to manage these competing priorities in a highly professional manner while ensuring students are supported and provided with a fair and transparent process. This speaks to the level of integrity and genuineness that Jenni brings to her work. Jenni’s leadership and efforts in Student Conduct have buttressed an area of work at the university that is unheralded but exceptionally important. Addressing matters of sexual misconduct is a highly stressful and demanding job and one Jenni does with great aplomb and little fanfare or recognition.
Jenni is not only a leader at work but also within the community. As a volunteer with Sights for Hope, Jenni was recognized last year with the Helping Hands Volunteer Award for the work she and her daughter, Caroline, have done on various fundraising efforts on behalf of the organization. The award, “recognizes volunteer dedication to a variety of projects that benefit people with visual impairments in Sights for Hope’s communities, as exemplified by Helen Keller.” Jenni is a champion for her daughters and family and gives back to others in need in her community.
Since I have had the pleasure of working with Jenni, I have been constantly impressed with her ability to weather and address both personal and professional challenges. A stalwart, she is undaunted, driven and intrinsically motivated to serve people both at work, at home and in her community. Jenni is a noteworthy representative of Kutztown University and a most deserving Employee of the Month candidate for all her efforts in making KU a more caring campus community.”
Davis:
“As the Associate Director of Student Conduct and Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Jenni has one of the most challenging jobs on campus. I work very closely with Jenni in her role as Deputy Title IX Coordinator. In that role, Jenni meets with students who are reporting that they have been the victim of sexual misconduct. When Jenni meets with these students, she not only shows professionalism, but also compassion and empathy and all students leave her office feeling heard and supported despite the hard times they are going through. During investigations, Jenni also meets with respondents and witnesses to incidents of sexual misconduct and treats all parties respectfully and professionally. Jenni perfectly walks the tight line between supporting students and ensuring the university's legal requirements with Title IX.
Jenni has been integral in assisting the Title IX Office meet its education and prevention programming goals. Jenni has been an active participant in these programming activities, working face-to-face with students on a weekly basis to increase the campus community's knowledge of Title IX, sexual misconduct and related topics. Due to increased Title IX programming across campus, the number of Title IX reports and investigations has vastly increased compared to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. This increased workload has not changed Jenni's positive and supportive attitude when working with these students or affected her ability to timely complete her investigations. Just this week, two students who were involved with the Title IX Office provided positive feedback regarding their interaction and experience with Jenni and the Title IX Office at large. One student thanked the Title IX Office for the support they provided, stating "Thank you for your assistance in discovering solutions that allow me to stay enrolled in school. I am most grateful."
Without Jenni's hard work, day in and day out, Kutztown University would not be as effective as we are in responding to reports of sexual misconduct, supporting students and providing a safe campus environment for our students. Jenni's work ensures all students are given equal opportunities to participate in our educational programs and activities.”
Nominations are collected from students, faculty and staff, and the Employee of the Month is selected by the Human Resources Advisory Council. A winner will be selected each month, and out of the 12 monthly winners one will be selected as Employee of the Year. The Employee of the Month will receive a plaque, reserved parking and a $100 monetary gift sponsored by President Hawkinson.
For more information on the award or to nominate someone, please visit the KU human resources website.