Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Kaylei Goodine views her new position at Whitman College as a return to her home-state. Goodine started as the Director of Equity and Compliance and Title IX coordinator last week, and sat with The Wire for an interview on her work leading up to her time at Whitman.
Goodine works in a position that faced prior scrutiny and an investigation led by the Washington state Attorney General’s Office, which The Wire reported on in 2024. Now, Goodine believes she must work to re-establish trust between students and administrators.
Before arriving at Whitman, Goodine worked at Sewanee: University of the South in Tennessee, from which she graduated as a double major in Psychology and Women and Gender Studies in 2019. It was there that she found her footing in equity and prevention work.
“When I was a student, I created the first student Title IX committee with the Title IX coordinator and the student government association,” Goodine said. “So even in my undergraduate experience, I was really passionate about this work, and I saw the impacts that it had on students and how students could impact this work, and how me, as a student leader, [could] contribute to that.”
Goodine attributes her interest in civil rights law and advocacy to a liberal arts education at her Alma Mater.
“I really value a private liberal arts education. I had that experience, and that’s actually kind of how I got started in this work. I wouldn’t know this work existed without that private liberal arts education,” Goodine said. “And being able to get more involved with the Title IX office — the Title IX office wasn’t even an office until my senior year.”
According to Goodine, campus culture plays a key role in shaping how an institution responds to and prevents sexual violence or sex-based discrimination. In her work and experience as a student, Goodine saw firsthand how a campus climate can impact student experience and how administrators implement or uphold resources like civil rights laws.
“[I am] looking at college campuses and different cultures within that, and how that either contributes to harm or can prevent harm,” Goodine said. “I also did research one summer as a research assistant at the University of Washington School of Social Work to look at how, at each level, harm can be decreased with policies, with procedures, but also with interpersonal relationships and the culture on campus.”
As Goodine settles into Walla Walla and learns more about Whitman’s campus, she plans to work alongside students to help introduce sexual violence prevention programs.
“One of the biggest things I did at Sewannee, and I really want to bring here, is working with student organizations,” Goodine said. “Because I was a student…trying to navigate the world and figure out how to disrupt harm when I see it, and practicing that.”
This April, Goodine and other administrators are planning to launch a new program called “Tuesdays are for Title IX.” As part of this program, Goodine will table and speak to students around campus throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Goodine further explained that this event is meant to bolster student trust in the Title IX office and create open dialogue as she learns more about Whitman’s campus culture. Now, as Goodine steps into her role in the wake of the Attorney General’s investigation and The Wire’s collection of student testimonies alleging misconduct on campus, she feels motivated to learn from students and work with the campus community.
“I think for me, [reading about the AGO investigation] shaped the way that I knew what I was walking into — and walking into a place to build trust, to build relationships. I’m not a person who’s going to come in and say, ‘We’re changing a million things at once.’ I want to learn about the historical context of the campus,” Goodine said.
Working as an administrator also provides a unique opportunity for Goodine to combine her experience as a student advocate with the practices and intentions she hoped for from administrators in her undergraduate and graduate-level work.
“I think [the investigation] kind of inspired me,” Goodine said. “I was a student at the time raising questions to our own Title IX coordinator [and] looking through policies and procedures, and I know how important trust is in this work.”
Moving forward, Goodine hopes that meeting with students and encouraging conversations about sexual violence prevention will help her understand the campus’ past and present efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault or sex-based discrimination.
