{"id":46940,"date":"2022-11-18T14:10:07","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T20:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/?p=46940"},"modified":"2022-11-18T14:10:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-18T20:10:22","slug":"rivera-named-inaugural-director-of-civil-rights-and-restorative-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bemidjistate.edu\/news\/2022\/11\/18\/rivera-named-inaugural-director-of-civil-rights-and-restorative-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Rivera Named Inaugural Director of Civil Rights and Restorative Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Emelie_Rivera\"<\/p>\n

Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College have appointed Emelie Rivera as the inaugural director of civil rights and restorative justice.<\/p>\n

In her role, Rivera’s primary responsibilities includes co-directing BSU and NTC’s Center for Civil Rights and leading investigations involving violations of Title IX and Minnesota State policies regarding discrimination, sexual and domestic violence on both campuses.<\/p>\n

“I am excited to have the chance to help nurture a safe, welcoming and inclusive campus and community culture,” Rivera said. “I believe pursuing collaborations internally and within the community will make a big difference in developing this inaugural program for BSU and NTC and am very much looking forward to building responsive programming that assists with their growth and development goals.”<\/p>\n

She will also assist human resources conduct Respectful Workplace investigations, develop and implement educational programming and build community connections.<\/p>\n

Steven D. Parker, campus diversity officer for Bemidji State and Northwest Tech, said hiring a director of civil rights and restorative justice reflects BSU and NTC’s commitment to transformative change.<\/p>\n

“I am honored to have Emelie with us,” Parker said. “Her expertise and dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism positions our institutions to holistically center restorative justice praxis.”<\/p>\n

Rivera holds bachelor’s degrees in social work and Indigenous Studies from Bemidji State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her professional experiences have focused on human services, investigations and judicial processes in both state and tribal government systems.<\/p>\n

“BSU and NTC have a great responsibility to protect the civil rights of students, faculty and staff,” Rivera said.  “We also have a responsibility to respect those rights and educate people, so they may be empowered by their rights.”<\/p>\n

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