The Department of Equal Opportunity, Compliance, and Title IX at the U of Awelcomes two new employees and promotes a third employee as part of a planned expansion to meet the compliance and outreach needs of a growing campus.

The two new team members who will each serve as Equal Opportunity and Title IX Investigators are Jamie Thayer and Jonathan Deegan. 

Thayer most recently served as a program consultant at the Kansas Department of Corrections. She previously worked with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. She is a graduate of Missouri State University (B.A. and M.S.).

“I am grateful to be a part of UARK’s Title IX office during this pivotal time of growth. I aspire to provide a respectful, unbiased and trauma-informed approach to all involved in the Title IX process,” Thayer said.

Deegan most recently served as a case manager for the Washington State Department of Corrections. He was previously a senior constable for the Queensland Police Service in Brisbane, Australia. He is a graduate of Deakin University (B.A.) and Griffith University (M.C.J.).

“I accepted the investigator position with the U of A as I could see that the Office of Equal Opportunity, Compliance & Title IX were in a position to make a positive impact on so many students and employees,” Deegan said. “I wanted to bring my experience and skillset to an important role and hopefully assist those in need of help from the OEOC.”

Wayne Bell, who has been with the U of A since 2019, has been promoted to Equal Opportunity and Title IX Case Manager. He previously served as Equal Opportunity and Recruitment Training Coordinator. Bell is a graduate of Arkansas State University (B.A.) and the U of A (M.A.) and is an adjunct faculty member in communication at NorthWest Arkansas Community College. He is also a current U of A staff senator, at large.

Bell said, “I am so pleased to continue the valuable work of the Department of Equal Opportunity, Compliance & Title IX, in my new role. The department is growing, and I am so happy to be a part of it.”

The department will begin its search for a new training coordinator and an additional investigator to complete the planned expansion and welcomes applications from the campus community, and beyond, for these positions. 

“We are excited to welcome Jonathan and Jamie to the U of A, and congratulate Wayne on this promotion,” said Danielle Williams, associate vice chancellor and executive director of equal opportunity, compliance and Title IX. “Following an analysis of areas we intentionally sought to grow to best serve the growing student population as well as our faculty and staff, we merged Title IX and OEOC and launched a new campuswide training platform. Under Dr. Shanita Pettaway’s leadership, we look forward to doing even more outreach, awareness and engagement of the entire campus as we plan for the fall semester and are grateful to the campus community for their support of our mission to proactively create a more inclusive educational and work environment for all.”

For more information on the Department of Equal Opportunity, Compliance, and Title IX, please visit oeoc.uark.edu.