Title IX
Creating a campus community free of sexual harassment and violence
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded form participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” – Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to The Higher Education Act of 1965
Each instance of discrimination, harassment, and violence ripples outward. Effects begin with the individuals directly involved and extend to intimate social networks, professional and friendly acquaintances, and shared academic and extracurricular groups, ultimately impacting the NU community as a whole.
We know that these effects vary depending on the experiences, identities, and social status of those involved. While we understand that each individual experience of discrimination, harassment, and violence is unique, we are also aware that acts of harm do not occur in a vacuum, but instead gain meaning from a variety of intersecting social and cultural values. We use this knowledge not to make assumptions based on people’s identities or experiences, but to implement a response to discrimination and harm that is nuanced and varied, rather than uniform.
Responding to discrimination, harassment, and violence requires collaboration across different areas of expertise and knowledge possessed by students, staff, and faculty at NU. Just as the responsibility to respond to discrimination is shared, so is the commitment to a community standard that prioritizes respect, equity, and safety.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is legislation focused on addressing and preventing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assaults and stalking. This legislation was originally passed in 1994 and has been reauthorized several times, most recently in 2022. VAWA is designed to protect and support survivors of gender-based violence, improve criminal justice responses to violence against women, fund services and shelters for victims, promote prevention programs and community awareness.
VAWA provides legal protections for victims, including restraining orders and confidentiality, funding for victim advocacy programs, rape crisis centers, and shelters, support for underserved populations (including LGBTQ+, those with disabilities and communities of color), training for law enforcement and courts on handling violence cases.
VAWA protections are gender-neutral and covers all survivors, including men, nonbinary individuals and transgender people. NU VAWA brochure: https://www.nu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/VAWA-Brochure-Updates.pdf
The Clery Act is named for student Jeanne Clery who in 1986 was raped and murdered in her dorm room at Lehigh University resulting in legislation in 1990 to help ensure transparency in campus crime reporting and safety policies.
The Clery Act is a federal law requiring colleges and universities that receive federal financial aid to report certain crime statistics and policies regarding safety and security of programs on campus required by the Department of Education.
Reportable crimes under the Clery Act: Motor vehicle theft, Burglary, Robbery, Fondling/Criminal Sexual Contact, Incest, Arson, Manslaughter, Murder, Rape, Statutory rape (under statutory age of consent), Hate crimes, including but not limited to larceny-theft, simple assault, intimidation, destruction, damage, or vandalism of property that was motivated by bias, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) offenses, including dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking
Campus violence and sexual assault are serious issues that impact college students throughout the country. Recent changes in the law by the federal government are holding colleges to a higher standard for reporting campus assaults. These new laws require prevention and awareness programs for students and employees.
Most students enter the college environment without receiving any information on issues of consent, sexual coercion, or what to do when they feel unsafe in a student environment. Many students do not know what to do if they or a friend is assaulted. When students know their rights and how to step up and speak out, they can do their part in helping to eliminate campus violence.
Over the past 50 years, important legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX Gender Discrimination were passed to help keep students protected, safe, and successful. In 1990 the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act – or Clery Act – was signed into law four years after the rape and murder of college student Jeanne Clery. These were major steps toward helping colleges become safe and inclusive.
On March 7, 2013, President Obama signed into law the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (Campus SaVE Act), a complement to Title IX and an update to the Jeanne Clery Act, as part of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The new law is designed to help colleges better protect their students and employees from sexual violence.
Bystander Intervention: can help create a culture of accountability throughout the University. By acting when they witness inappropriate behavior, bystanders can help establish that harassment is not tolerated and reinforce the organization’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies.
Bystander intervention is recognizing a potentially harmful situation or interaction and choosing to respond in a way that could positively influence the outcome. Before stepping in, remember the ABCs:
- Assess for safety: If you see someone in trouble, ask yourself if you can help safely in any way. Remember, your personal safety is a priority – never put yourself at risk!
- Be in a group: It’s safer to call out behavior or intervene in a group. If this is not an option, report it to others who can act.
- Care for the victim: Talk to the person who you think may need help. Ask them if they are OK.
Here are some tips to safely intervene, whether in-person or virtually, remember the 5 D’s:
Call out negative behavior, tell the person to stop or ask the victim if they are OK. Do this as a group if you can. Be polite. Don’t aggravate the situation – remain calm and state why something has offended you. Stick to exactly what has happened, don’t exaggerate.
Interrupt, start a conversation with the perpetrator to allow their potential target to move away or have friends intervene. Or come up with an idea to get the victim out of the situation – tell them they need to take a call, or you need to speak to them; any excuse to get them away to safety. Alternatively, try distracting, or redirecting the situation.
Create documentation of the incident and give it to the person who was harassed or as part of the report, if reported by someone other than the victim. Record the time and date of the incident, and who was involved. If during a virtual exchange, screenshots of any harassment are useful, even if the incident does not escalate at the time.
If you are too embarrassed or shy to speak out, or you don’t feel safe to do so, get someone else to step in. National University has a zero-tolerance policy on harassment, so the faculty/staff will act.
If the situation is too dangerous to challenge then and there (such as there is the threat of violence, or you are outnumbered) just walk away. Wait for the situation to pass then ask the victim later if they are OK. Or report it when it’s safe to do so – it’s never too late to act.