Title IX is a civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. While some universities have had recent difficulties with the law; Bradley University has taken strides to ensure that the university obeys this law, and that each of their students feels safe.
Bradley University handles Title IX
“Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity”- www.justice.gov
In the media, Title IX is a law that is becoming more and more prevalent. Events at universities such as University of Virginia and Florida State University have brought to light some of the serious issues dealing with sexual assault and athletic discrimination that schools across the country deal with. With this increasing exposure to the law, more and more people are questioning how their universities handle these issues.
This brings the question: how does Bradley deal with Title IX on campus? According to the Bradley University Student Handbook Policies, “Bradley University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its education programs or activities. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus). Title IX protects all people regardless of their gender identity from sex discrimination, which includes sexual harassment and violence.” Almost all universities have a message similar to this one in their student handbook, stating their views and policies regarding Title IX. Unfortunately as we have seen in recent news, what is stated in writing is not necessarily how the policy is executed.
“Bradley University is committed to providing a culture that is free from hazing or harassing” according to Director for Student Support Services Anne Hollis. One of the most prevalent problems on Bradley’s campus, is the lack of knowledge about the options each student has. “We are trying to educate the student on who they can tell who is ‘confidential’ versus ‘private’” Hollis said. For instance, a confidential person a student could tell about the issue would be a counselor. The counselor cannot report the complaint, if the student chooses to stay anonymous, simply let the student know of all of their options. Meanwhile if the student tells a resident advisor, who is considered ‘private’, of an issue, they have an obligation to report the problem to the university. According to Anne Hollis, “What we find the most often, a student goes to their RA, says I was assaulted at a party, and the RA has obligation to tell the university…if student doesn’t want to file a complaint and was just looking for comfort, there are factors that determine if the issue can stay confidential”.
Students who have had problems with sexual assault or athletic discrimination often choose to go to counseling as a resource. Deborah Montgomery-Coon says that when students go to her seeking counsel, “the athletic issue and sexual assault complaints are about half and half. Nationally I think Title IX has been more focused on sexual assault, but students have discussed both issues equally in counseling”. Montgomery-Coon also added, “counselors have the responsibility of informing the student of all the resources they can access; whether that be action, medical, community or judicial”.
However according to Academic Ombudsman and Bradley professor Dan Smith, Bradley University has actively been making efforts to make sure that Bradley handles any issues concerning the Title IX law quickly and correctly. “The amount of support dedicated to enforcement of Title IX, as well as services designed to promote compliance, have increased significantly since I have been here at BU.” Director of Counseling at Bradley Deborah Montgomery-Coon had similar opinions when asked about how the law has been being handled. “Nationally I think the law has been taken more seriously lately, but I think it has always been taken seriously on Bradley’s campus”. While there are Title IX issues at every university, Bradley makes an effort to make sure that the student is aware of all of their options and resources.
1 is 2 many PSA on putting and end to violating Title IX:
Source:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/1is2many
Map of Open Title IX investigations in the U.S.
Map of Higher Education Institutions with Open Title IX Sexual Violence Investigations
Source:
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-list-higher-education-institutions-open-title-i
History of Title IX
http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/history-of-title-ix