Recent national discourse has centered on campus sexual violence, yet institutions making genuine progress on this issue remain largely absent from the conversation. The time has come for colleges and universities to step forward and shape this dialogue.
Understandably, media coverage has concentrated on schools under federal investigation for sexual violence violations and on survivors courageously sharing their experiences and demanding change. However, many institutions are actively working to address these problems and achieve meaningful results. We need to hear from those schools that are emphasizing prevention, accountability, and transparency while meaningfully involving students and survivors in campus initiatives.
With April marking Sexual Assault Awareness Month, institutions have an opportunity to demonstrate how they are meeting their obligations to students. When sexual violence pervades campus life, it creates an environment hostile to learning and student success. Since sexual assault occurs on campuses nationwide, all benefit when schools prioritize genuine safety over reputation management. A critical component involves fostering an atmosphere where students feel secure reporting incidents of sexual violence.
Leadership also requires schools to understand and uphold Title IX, the 1972 federal statute prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding. Regrettably, some institutions have responded to national scrutiny by attacking or attributing campus problems to Title IX itself. This misses the mark. Title IX serves as an essential framework for protecting student civil rights through campus processes and preventing future violence. The law functions effectively and deserves protection.
Under Title IX, schools bear responsibility for addressing sexual violence because they uniquely can provide necessary accommodations—such as modified class schedules or housing arrangements—that survivors require to continue their education. Schools must also investigate what transpired through administrative procedures and respond according to their student conduct codes, anti-discrimination policies, and applicable federal civil rights requirements.
These Title IX obligations do not transform schools into law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, or courts. Schools neither determine whether criminal charges apply nor negotiate plea agreements or impose criminal sentences. The criminal justice system appropriately handles these functions and can operate concurrently with school proceedings if survivors choose to involve police. Title IX guidance clearly distinguishes between institutional and law enforcement responsibilities.
School administrators uncertain about coordinating these separate processes can access extensive resources from the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, as well as information available at notalone.gov.
The national conversation will prove more constructive when institutional leaders participate alongside survivors, advocates, and policymakers in addressing the campus sexual violence crisis. Many schools overlook both the opportunity to protect their students and the chance to demonstrate to students, faculty, prospective applicants, and families that they are actively part of the solution. In coming months, we anticipate the opportunity to recognize and learn from institutions that are taking proactive steps to combat campus sexual assault and embrace Title IX. We welcome their voices.
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Lisa M. Maatz is Vice President for Government Relations at American Association of University Women