Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
provides that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Title VI Services
What to Know
The current administration has ramped up the focus on Title VI, partnering with agencies like Health and Human Services for investigations and the Department of Justice for enforcement. Agencies have paused or withheld federal funding for some schools because of concerns about Title VI compliance with a specific focus on antisemitism, leading to litigation or settlements with the government to release the funds. Schools and institutions are facing great pressure to remain in compliance and avoid investigation and enforcement.
Yet, OCR’s enforcement of Title VI is not new. In 2024, OCR resolved 3707 Title VI complaints and in 2020, they resolved 2406 complaints. Title VI has been an essential part of the Civil Rights Act since 1964, and it’s been and continues to be our mission to help institutions of all sizes cost-effectively meet their compliance obligations.
Guide to Title VI Compliance
The List
The Tools
- Convene discussions with campus partners, legal counsel, and leadership about the shifting equity landscape and the potential impact to the community. Proactively determine steps required to augment process, procedures and communications plans to comply with the law while remaining responsive to the unique needs and values of your community.
- Undertake a policy refresh—review and refine your discrimination and harassment policies to ensure they reflect best practices for Title VI.
- Develop SOPs—create a clear structure for receiving, investigating and resolving Title VI complaints.
- Build awareness—conduct outreach to your students, faculty, and staff about their rights under Title VI and how to report concerns. Include contact info—update your website accordingly.
- Update professional development—train employees who have a role in implementing your Title VI policies or who are likely to receive reports.
- Refine recordkeeping systems and processes—methodically record and track your response and resolution process for every complaint. If it’s not in your records, it didn’t happen.
- Be proactive. Inaction is not an option.
If you don’t have the staff, expertise, or bandwidth, consider interim or long-term assistance.
