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states that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Title IX is a federal law intended to end sex discrimination in all areas of education. It applies to non-discrimination based on sex/gender to all recipients of federal funds and applies to issues of program equity, such as in athletics, and also to sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Most people who know about Title IX think it applies only to sports, but athletics is only one of 10 key areas addressed by the law.  These areas are: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology, Minors.

Note that discrimination based on pregnancy and parenting is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX requires that schools must offer pregnant students the same benefits they offer to students with other medical conditions, such as illness or injury. One exception to this rule is absences – Title IX requires that schools (including universities, colleges, etc.) excuse absences due to pregnancy and related conditions for as long as a doctor says it is necessary.  Students to whom this applies should work with Health Services and their Class Dean.

to learn more about supporting the academic success of pregnant and parenting students under Title IX.

Additionally, sexual misconduct and violence on college campuses is of great concern and, in the recent years, has begun to get the level of attention that allows change to occur:

• Provides clarification to all institutions receiving Federal funding. Specifically states that sexual harassment of students, which includes acts of sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX.
•  Connecticut’s response to the Dear Colleague Letter, it requires public and private higher education institutions to adopt and disclose one or more policies on sexual assault and intimate partner violence.
• Seeks to update the Jeanne Clery Act.  SaVE requires that incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking be disclosed in annual campus crime statistic reports.
• VAWA is similar to the requirements of Connecticut’s PA 12 -78 while codifying some provisions of OCR’s Dear Colleague Letter and imposing mandates for additional student awareness programming.
• Among other provisions, requires clerks of court, upon request of the protected person, to send notice of protective orders to the President and the special police force established pursuant to section 10a-142, if any, at the College or University at which the victim is enrolled.
• Once enacted this will require each institution enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with at least one community based sexual assault crisis center as well as at least one community based domestic violence agency for the express purposes of facilitating the use of such centers by members of the campus community.
• If enacted this will amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to combat campus sexual violence, and for other purposes.
• requires all Connecticut colleges and universities to adopt an affirmative consent policy.