Statement on the New Title IX Regulations
May 6, 2020
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
For some time, we have been anticipating that the federal Office for Civil Rights would issue new regulations related to the implementation of Title IX; today, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released the final regulations, which will go into effect on August 14. Brandeis has not been silent on this issue; when the draft regulations were released, we submitted comments as members of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts.
We will be reviewing these new regulations, and like all other colleges and universities, we must now consider what these regulations mean for the institution and our community.
I want to assure the Brandeis community that we are committed to ensuring fairness, equity, respect, and support for everyone in our community – including those who bring forward concerns alleging sexual harassment or sexual assault, as well as those who are accused of engaging in these behaviors.
Every person on our campus must be able to study, work, and live in a safe environment free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. Brandeis has taken steps to improve our response, support, advocacy, and education related to these issues, including sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Comprehensive resources can be found on the Support at Brandeis website which has links that help all members of our community find support for a variety of needs.
There also are confidential resources where an individual can discuss their experience and their options without officially reporting to the institution:
- The Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center (PARC) provides confidential advocates that can help you think through your options, plan for your safety, process your feelings and refer you to other resources. (781-736-3370, 24 hours a day or parc@brandeis.edu).
- The Ombuds Office offers confidential support and informal dispute resolution to students, faculty, and staff — this can include advice on steps you can take if you have experienced sexual misconduct or advice on any difficult situation or conflict you are experiencing at Brandeis (781-736-2265 or brandeisombuds@brandeis.edu).
If someone is interested in reporting their experience to the institution, the following resources are available:
- The Office of Equal Opportunity was recently created as the central reporting office responsible for addressing issues of discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct within the Brandeis community — including Title IX (oeo@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4800).
- The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which oversees a variety of key departments, can connect students with resources that help them make their organizations more diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces (781-736-4411 or diversity@brandeis.edu).
- The Gender and Sexuality Center, provides support and resources to LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff (781-736-8582 or gsc@brandeis.edu).
Through the support and reporting options we provide and the work of our Office of Equal Opportunity, Brandeis will continue our efforts of preventing and responding to discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, in a way that reflects our deeply held values of treating all people with dignity and respect.
Sincerely,
Ron