UNC rolls out new Title IX policy to comply with federal regulations

The University adopted a new Title IX policy Friday to comply with new regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education in May. 

The federal regulations issued widespread changes to policies and procedures on how colleges and universities respond to sexual harassment and violence. 

Universities across the country were required to implement these changes by Aug. 14. 

"This new policy reflects our unwavering commitment to providing equal access to safe and inclusive learning, living, and work environments, regardless of gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex and sexual orientation," Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Equal Opportunity and Compliance Becci Menghini said in an email Friday.

In the email, Menghini said the main points to these policies are:

• As permitted by the regulations, the University will continue to prohibit, respond to and, when appropriate, adjudicate reports of sexual misconduct, regardless of where the reported misconduct occurs if the conduct has continuing adverse effects on campus, including behavior that may fall outside the Department of Education’s new definition of sexual harassment. 
• The new Title IX policy will address and apply to behaviors that fall under the definitions and parameters specifically designated by the new Title IX regulations. The Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct will address and apply to behaviors that fall outside of those definitions and parameters. 
• The University will maintain a preponderance of the evidence standards in all cases of alleged discrimination and harassment, including reports alleging sexual misconduct.

The new policy was made effective Friday. 

Menghini said Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will hire a chief prevention strategy officer to oversee UNC's work to prevent sexual assault and sexual misconduct after reviewing the results of the Association of American Universities’ 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct. 

In this survey, 34 percent of student respondents reported that sexual assault or other sexual misconduct is "very to extremely problematic" at UNC. 

To guide these prevention efforts, UNC will also implement the creation of the UNC Gender-Based Violence Prevention Advisory Group, which includes students, faculties, staff from the Carolina Women's Center, UNC Police, the Equal Opportunity and Compliance office and more. 

UNC students wrote a petition letter in May, addressed to Guskiewicz, Menghini and Director of Title IX Compliance Adrienne Allison, calling on UNC to create a cohesive and equitable Title IX process. The petition received over 2,400 co-signatures. 

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