Graduation Term
Fall 2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Department of Educational Administration and Foundations: Educational Administration
Committee Chair
Elizabeth Lugg
Committee Member
Francis Godwyll
Committee Member
Aimee Julian
Abstract
Higher education faculty in the United States often serve as first points of disclosure for students experiencing sexual harassment, abuse, or assault. Title IX requires that these faculty members act as mandated reporters. Although faculty are expected to act as institutional agents, many also view themselves as student advocates, creating tensions between institutional duty and personal values. This dissertation explores how faculty experience, interpret, and emotionally respond to their Title IX reporting responsibilities.
Using a qualitative document analysis approach, this study examined nearly 200 public posts on Academia Stack Exchange, The Fora, and Reddit in which faculty discussed mandated reporting, student disclosures, and institutional responses. Posts were analyzed through two cycles of coding informed by Saldaña’s coding methods and Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory, with particular attention to themes of compassion fatigue, role conflict, and moral urgency. The conceptual framework also incorporated Freyd and Birrell’s theory of institutional betrayal and the concept of epistemic dissensus to examine patterns of disagreement and ethical dissonance.
Key findings revealed significant tensions between faculty roles as institutional agents and empathetic teachers. Themes such as participation versus preservation, boundary enforcement, moral urgency, emotional labor, and distrust in both systemic Title IX processes and local institutional responses emerged consistently across posts. Faculty frequently expressed feeling unsupported, morally conflicted, and silenced by institutional messaging. A strong sense of epistemic dissensus was evident, as faculty disagreed not only about what should be reported but also on the purpose and legitimacy of the reporting process itself.
This study contributes to scholarship on faculty emotional labor, institutional ethics, and Title IX implementation by amplifying rarely-heard faculty voices in informal, public discourse. The findings highlight the need for more transparent, supportive, and trust-building practices in Title IX training and administration.
Access Type
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Reichart, Jennifer L., "Institutional Betrayal, Trauma Stewardship, Epistemic Dissensus, and Self-Care: A Document Analysis of Faculty Responses to Title IX Mandated Reporting" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 2244.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2244