The U.S. Department of EducationÌýÌýin November that, if implemented, could affect the way higher education campuses investigate and redress sexual misconduct. The publication of the proposed rules officially started the 60-day public comment period, a step in the process before those regulations could become law. The public comment period concludes on Jan. 28, 2019.
I encourage you to review theÌýÌýfor highlights of the proposed rule changes. You can alsoÌý. After the Department of Education receives comments on the proposed rules, it will determine whether to enact them, whether in their current format or with modifications, later next year.
Systemwide, the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ recently undertook a thorough review andÌýrefinementÌýof our Title IX policies and procedures. We are confident they are not only serving us wellÌýbut align well within the currently applicable legal framework, providing fair and consistent procedures for all involved parties. Because the proposed rules have not been adopted and may change, we plan to continue using our current policies and procedures until such time as any new regulations become effective.Ìý If new regulations are adopted, Ìýwe will evaluate any changes we might need to make to conform to those regulations prior to their effective date.
Because the proposed rules may affect all of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ’s campuses, we plan to use the same process that we used to obtain feedback on our recent Sexual Misconduct policy and procedure revisions. We will collect your feedback and provide it to a systemwide committee led by Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Vice President and University Counsel Patrick O’Rourke. Together, we will closely review the proposed rules and your feedback to determine how we may be impacted and any adjustments we might need to make in the future.
We welcome your feedback and questions as we continue this review process on the Boulder campus. You can reach us atÌýoiec@colorado.eduÌýor 303-492-2127.
At the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ, we have all worked hard to create a fair process for all parties involved in a sexual misconduct adjudication. TheÌýÌýof andÌýÌýto incidents and the fulfillment of the promises of Title IXÌýremain a priority at the university. TheÌýÌýwill continue to diligently follow federal law, current or with any future changes, and strive to maintain the best practices and policies possible.
Valerie Simons
Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator
Office of Institutional Equity and ComplianceÌý