This general qualitative research utilized semi-structured interviews of eight (8) experienced Title IX investigators from institutions of higher education (IHEs) in Massachusetts to understand federal Title IX regulatory compliance burdens. The rate of occurrence of sexual assault and harassment, as forms of sex discrimination, at IHEs remain…

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. In 2011, the Department of Education under President Obama issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) advising schools of their obligation to protect Title IX rights by more effectively responding to campus sexual assault. Many observers hoped that this would promote gender…

Sexual misconduct incidents remain a major problem on college and university campuses. Despite its prevalence, higher learning institutions are still grappling with establishing the best approach for addressing or minimizing sexual misconduct practices on their campuses. While previous scholars have explored Title IX compliance, it is not clear…

Expectations of campus safety and security are inherent in the development of policies internal to the campus environment as well as to national regulations inclusive of Title IX, the Clery Act, and so forth. Yet, there seems to be an ongoing concern that international students may have heightened risk or are less likely to report violations of…

Using critical discourse analysis, this article reveals how power is inherent in and maintained through Title IX campus-based adjudication processes. We interrogate the role of identity and power in Title IX adjudication processes through an intersectional analytic framework. We challenge the reliance on fairness and neutrality, which leads…

Title IX staff play a critical role in ensuring compliance with federal regulations, fostering safe and inclusive campus environments, and addressing issues related to gender equity and sexual misconduct. Adequate staffing and institutional support for these positions are essential for addressing campus needs proactively, mitigating the risks of…

Title IX prohibits sex-discrimination in colleges in the United States. While colleges must provide training on Title IX, little is known about its effectiveness. This study examined the campus climate and effectiveness of Title IX training among 2,393 college students at a medium-size public university in the south-central region of the U.S.…

Pregnant college students have been increasingly successful in proving sex-based discrimination prohibited by Title IX, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. Higher education administrators are responsible for Title IX compliance through policy development and adherence but must rely on faculty…

Landmark research from before the 2010s shows that college women rarely held institutions responsible for allowing rape-prone party contexts to persist and failing to support survivors. Yet the college landscape has changed profoundly since these studies were published, with prominent anti-rape campaigns and new guidelines to Title IX policy. To…

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act was signed into law on June 23, 1972. The goal of the legislation which was signed into law by President Nixon was to correct shortcomings of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 that allowed for equal access to education opportunities for individuals regardless of race, religion or national origin. The…

The underrepresentation of female Administrators in higher education is not decreasing even though education continues to be a field dominated by women. The overall percentage of women leading colleges and universities in the United States remains disproportionately low at 26%. This ambiguous case study examines whether or not the Higher Education…

In this article, we propose a campus-based pedagogy to teach sociology. We offer the example of a project designed to critically assess university Title IX policy and situate it within existing sociological research on gender-based inequalities and violence. Students engage in sociological research regarding issues such as sexual harassment and…

This overview highlights that the U.S. Department of Education's Title IX regulations recognize that sexual harassment, including sexual assault, is unlawful sex discrimination. The Department previously addressed sexual harassment only through guidance documents, which are not legally binding and do not have the force and effect of law. Now, the…

Sexual assault involves any behavior where one individual makes sexual contact with another without explicit consent (Department of Justice, 2017). More than 20% of females and 11% of males in undergraduate programs are victims of sexual assault annually. Sexual assault can significantly impact survivors' academic performance and progress and may…

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination--including sexual assault--in higher education. The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights' 2011 "Dear Colleague Letter" outlines recommendations for campus sexual assault adjudication allowing a variety of procedures that fail to protect accused students' due process rights and victims'…