Federal Laws

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

A federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex against any person in education programs and activities receiving federal funding. Students have the right to pursue education, including athletic programs, scholarships, and other activities, free from sex discrimination, including sexual violence and harassment. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.) requires schools that receive federal financial assistance to respond promptly and effectively when a sexual assault is reported to have occurred in the course of the university's education programs and activities.

Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

(42 U.S.C. § 2000c et seq.) also requires public schools to respond to sexual assaults committed against their students.

The Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC § 1092(f)), commonly referred to as the Clery Act, requires colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to report annual statistics on crime on or near their campuses--including sexual assault and rape, and to develop and disseminate prevention policies.

VAWA

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) established federal legal definitions of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (Campus SaVE) was enacted in March 2013, and amends the Jeanne Clery Act, creating additional protections for victims of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. In compliance with Campus SaVE, the university provides awareness programs and training to help prevent sexual assault and other sex crimes on campus or in university programs.

The University's Title IX Coordinator

The Title IX Coordinator coordinates the university’s compliance with Title IX. The Title IX Coordinator will be informed of all complaints or reports of violations of this policy, and oversees the university’s centralized response to ensure compliance with Title IX and the 2013 Amendments to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Title IX Coordinator’s activities include (but are not limited to):

• Communicating with all members of the university community regarding Title IX and VAWA, and providing information about how individuals may access their rights;
• Reviewing applicable university policies to ensure institutional compliance with Title IX and VAWA;
• Monitoring the university’s administration of its own applicable policies, including record keeping, timeframes, and other procedural requirements;
• Conducting training regarding Title IX, VAWA, and prohibited conduct defined in this policy; and
• Responding to any complaint or report regarding conduct that violates this policy. In this capacity, the Title IX Coordinator oversees the investigation and resolution of such alleged misconduct, directs the provision of any remedial measures, and monitors the administration of any related appeal.