"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from 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 Educational Amendments of 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act
Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in all programs and activities of a university such as Wittenberg. It also requires that universities be proactive in preventing discrimination and in responding to concerns or allegations of discrimination including, but not limited to, harassment and assault. Although Wittenberg’s policies and procedures relating to Title IX are founded on the laws of the United States and of the State of Ohio, they are also guided by the mission and values of the university.
Title IX
Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education. This federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities operated by recipients of federal financial assistance.
Title IX applies to all participants of such programs, including students, parents and faculty/staff members.
A variety of activities are covered under Title IX, including athletic programs, recruitment, admissions, financial aid, and participation in extracurricular programs and activities. For example, Title IX addresses discrimination situations such as unequal treatment of pregnant and parenting students or unequal pay based on gender.
Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment (which encompasses sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct). Wittenberg University complies with Title IX and does not discriminate on the basis of sex in education programs and activities, admissions, or employment. It complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.
Wittenberg's policy applies to all forms of sex and/or gender-based harassment, discrimination and violence, including sexual assault, stalking, domestic and dating violence.
The Clery Act and Campus SaVE
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f), as amended by the Campus SaVE Act, part of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, S. 47, 113th Cong. (2013), requires, among other things, annual reporting of statistics for various criminal offenses, including sex offenses, timely warnings and emergency notifications to the University community, prevention education, and the adoption of sexual assault policies with certain procedural requirements.
- Wittenberg's annual report can be found here: Annual Campus Safety and Security Report
It is the goal of Wittenberg University to provide students, faculty, staff, and guests with an environment free from sex discrimination, which includes sexual harassment, sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking. The university’s Title IX Policy outlines the definition of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual offenses, domestic and dating violence, stalking, reporting procedures, procedures for the resolution, provisions for students who have been subjected to sex offenses, sexual assault prevention and education programs, and resources to victims and survivors of sexual assault.
In order to take prompt and equitable corrective action, the University must be aware of sex discrimination in any form or related retaliation. Therefore, members of the Wittenberg community who believe that they have been victim of such incidents or know someone who may be a victim by a student, faculty, staff, or vendor/supplier are advised to bring the matter to the attention of the Title IX Coordinator or the Deputy Coordinators listed below. Additionally, members of the community may contact the Wittenberg Police Division (24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any location) to report such allegations.