J. Carbajal
Students and employees can access information on Title IX, counseling and more with their phones.
By Austin P. Taylor
ataylor160@student.alamo.edu
To ensure students and faculty are aware of the resources provided by the campus, the office of student conduct has created a free app for iOS and Android phones.
During the ATIXA — Association of Title IX Administrators — conference, representatives from this college met the founders of Capptivation, the company responsible for Reach Out, an app designed to host the Title IX resources for institutes of higher education.
“The app was made for survivors of sexual misconduct,” Jack Zandi, a founding partner of Capptivation, said. “It was made so survivors could get the help they needed as soon as they could.”
According to the Reach Out website, there are 2,488 campuses in 36 states on the app.
However, this college’s version of the app is a little different.
While the base structure of the app is meant to show students and employees the resources related to Title IX, the office of student conduct decided to take it farther.
Jacob-Aiden Martinez, the director of student conduct and Title IX enforcement officer at this college, purchased and customized the app to fit the needs of this college.
“Originally, the app was meant for Title IX and sexual assault specifically,” Martinez said. “We don’t really need that at SAC.”
Martinez attributed this to the lack of living quarters on the campus. While the Tobin Lofts do house a significant number of students, the majority of students attending this college commute.
To make the app relevant to students, Martinez and the college licensed an upgraded version of the app from Capptivation and filled it with information and resources that can be used by students.
The app contains information for
- Strategies of Behavioral Intervention, a program designed to identify and respond to instances of unsafe and disruptive behavior.
- Title IX and sexual misconduct, a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex. Includes acts of sexual harassment and relationship violence.
- Haven, an online class/survey designed to help students develop critical life skills. Students must complete this course or face a hold on their account.
- Campus police, which are the police services located at this college.
- Campus carry, a recent state ruling that allows students to conceal carry handguns on all Alamo College campuses, should they meet the prerequisite of having a license.
- Bae-b-safe, a program designed to help students learn about sexual and reproductive health and prevent unplanned pregnancy.
- The student advocacy center, which provides services to assist financially challenged students in their day-to-day lives.
- Health promotions, a program designed to increase student’s awareness of their general health.
- Personal counseling, a counseling set up to help students manage course workload, responsibilities and other crippling situations.
- ¡Hazlo! Por Su Salud, a federally funded program designed to prevent incidences of HIV and other STDs.
- Student conduct, a student code of conduct of which students must have a working knowledge.
- SAC cares, an initiative set up to affirm the diverse environment created by the students and employees of this college.
- Hotlines, a service for information on important emergency services ranging from legal aid to crisis intervention.
- General medical care, which provides locations for nearby health services. Call 911 if faced with a life-threatening emergency.
The information in the app is a direct copy of the information on this college’s website. Martinez hopes putting all the information in one place will help students who need the resources within a limited timeframe.
During convocation week, it was announced the office of the vice president of college services was also working on an app for this college. However, unlike the Reach Out app, Dr. Stella Lovato’s office will be dedicated to creating an interactive map of this college. Martinez said the Reach Out app could link to the upcoming map, but those plans have yet to be cemented.
The Reach Out app is under a yearlong license, after which it will be reviewed and possibly renewed.
Students or employees can find the app under the name “Reach Out” in either the Apple or Android app stores. To reach the page for this college, download the app, agree to required terms, click on “United States Colleges and Universities,” search for this college and click the displayed name.
For more information, call Martinez at 210-486-9915 or the SAC Cares office at 210-486-0926.
