Leading Jaguars: Kaitlyn Wild
How policies, procedures, ethics and laws protect the campus community
By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer
Kaitlyn Wild has a very strong desire to know what’s going on around campus. Her professional curiosity is borne out of a need to protect students, faculty, staff and the entire campus from wrongdoing.
As Governors State University’s (GovState) first Director of Compliance and Ethics Officer, Wild oversees legal and regulatory compliance of federal and state laws and investigates alleged violations of rules and policies, including Title IX complaints.
Wild holds both a law degree and MBA from Marquette University. She joined GovState in 2021 and continues to learn how to best serve the University. “The biggest learning curve for me was understanding how a university functions, which I had only experienced as a student,” said Wild, who earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College.
In this newly created role, Wild was to become proactive in determining the policies the University needed to comply with federal and state law, and then proposing changes to GovState’s leadership team. Another important duty entails handling internal complaints and compliance under Title IX which protects students and employees from discrimination in all education programs.
Before she started, compliance at GovState was completely decentralized with all departments expected to figure things out for themselves.
Wild’s goal is to streamline policies and practices and remove barriers to reporting discrimination and harassment incidents on campus. “By making myself open to conversations, the University can address as many issues as possible,” she said. “I see my job as making people feel confident they will not be punished for speaking their truth.”
Wild said that all University employees are asked to pass along reports they receive. “I will never have the relationships with students that their professors or advisors have,” she said. “My hope is that if students can choose whom they report to, we can get a better sense of what is happening on campus.”
GovState’s tool for anonymous reporting is an electronic system designed for someone who is uncomfortable talking about an event. “It’s also an excellent system for someone who wants to file an anonymous report if they’ve witnessed a crime,” Wild said. “And we would never issue sanctions against someone unless it’s confirmed there was an actual wrongdoing. Then it’s my job to confirm that type of wrongdoing never happens again.”
Examples of other issues that Wild handles are policies for campus protests and those related to religious groups. “As a public institution, there are laws that apply just to colleges and universities as well as government institutions. We are both.”
A resident of Naperville, Wild began her career in business law with a firm in Wheaton, Illinois, in a role heavy on litigation. There she gained extensive legal experience. After 10 years, she moved into estate planning, working in a personal counselor role that she enjoyed.
Wild heard about a newly created opportunity at GovState from Therese King Nohos, General Counsel, whom she’d met while working with educational institutions. “I really liked her and working with educational institutions. I learned I would be in a counselor role working with one client, which I prefer, helping GovState stay compliant and practicing my attorney skills.”
Wild appreciates collaborating with GovState’s leadership team. “If I say, ‘We need to change something,’ they take me seriously which makes my job a heck of a lot easier. I feel fortunate the leadership team is open to working with me on any issues I see on campus.”