New Title IX regulations released from the U.S. Department of Education

May 6, 2020 1:47 PM

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Today, the U.S. Department of Education released new regulations to guide the application of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protects persons from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. We are currently reviewing the new regulations to understand the compliance expectations of the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and we will keep our community informed as we evaluate what will need to be put in place as part of our current Title IX reporting and response processes.

Let us state unequivocally: it is the position of the University of Illinois that sexual misconduct in any form is a direct violation of our institutional values. The new 2020 Title IX regulations are a minimum threshold set by the federal government with which our university must comply. Regulations, however, do not reflect the threshold of our university’s commitment to ensure safe and equitable access to a learning environment free from discrimination based on sex, which includes sexual misconduct.

Our university is committed to work with stakeholders to uphold the following principles and values:

• We will continue to be committed to a fair and balanced process for both reporting and responding parties.
• We will continue to provide resources and supportive measures for anyone who needs them.
• We will continue to provide Confidential Advisors for survivors of sexual misconduct as required by Illinois state law.
• We will continue to prioritize the physical and emotional health of our community, as well as provide medical support when it is needed.
• We will continue our commitment to sexual misconduct prevention work to create a university culture of consent and respect.
• We will continue to provide training for professional staff and administrators on processes and skills to reduce re-traumatization and harm.
• We will continue to support and advocate for the rights of LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff.
• We will continue to work to implement recommendations from task forces, committees, and exploratory groups.

Federal regulations may change, but our community responsibility to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct extends well beyond rules and mandates. In anticipation of this release, we have engaged at both the university and system levels in a comprehensive review of the November 2018 proposed regulations, advised by campus units and stakeholders with extensive experience and expertise in prevention and response. With this final release, our next steps are to carefully review the new regulations, identify processes that may need to change in consultation with campus experts, and implement the changes. The new regulations will go into effect August 14, 2020.

For more information on reporting sexual misconduct and how to support survivors and any others who need it, please visit wecare.illinois.edu.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor

Andreas C. Cangellaris
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost

Sean C. Garrick
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Dr. Danita M. B. Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs