The U.S. Department of Education announced new proposed Title IX regulations in November that, if implemented, could affect the way higher education campuses investigate and redress sexual misconduct. The publication of the proposed rules officially started the 60-day public comment period, a step in the process before those regulations could become law. The public comment period concludes on Jan. 28, 2019.
I encourage you to review the Department of Education’s fact sheet for highlights of the proposed rule changes. You can also submit comments directly to the Department of Education. After the Department of Education receives comments on the proposed rules, it will determine whether to enact them, whether in their current format or with modifications, later next year.
Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator for the
Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance Valerie Simons
Systemwide, the University of Colorado recently undertook a thorough review and refinement of our Title IX policies and procedures. We are confident they are not only serving us well but align well within the currently applicable legal framework, providing fair and consistent procedures for all involved parties. Because the proposed rules have not been adopted and may change, we plan to continue using our current policies and procedures until such time as any new regulations become effective. If new regulations are adopted, we will evaluate any changes we might need to make to conform to those regulations prior to their effective date.
Because the proposed rules may affect all of CU’s campuses, we plan to use the same process that we used to obtain feedback on our recent Sexual Misconduct policy and procedure revisions. We will collect your feedback and provide it to a systemwide committee led by CU Vice President and University Counsel Patrick O’Rourke. Together, we will closely review the proposed rules and your feedback to determine how we may be impacted and any adjustments we might need to make in the future.
We welcome your feedback and questions as we continue this review process on the Boulder campus. You can reach us at oiec@colorado.edu or 303-492-2127.
At the University of Colorado, we have all worked hard to create a fair process for all parties involved in a sexual misconduct adjudication. The prevention of and response to incidents and the fulfillment of the promises of Title IX remain a priority at the university. The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) will continue to diligently follow federal law, current or with any future changes, and strive to maintain the best practices and policies possible.
Valerie Simons
Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator
Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance
