News
In Focus: Massachusetts Survey Requirements
By Roma Shah and Joseph Storch The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to better understand the impact of sexual and interpersonal violence and harassment among students, requires that all colleges and universities conduct climate surveys at least every four years....
Welcome Blaze Bowers, our New Regional Director of Client Relations & Engagement—Southeast Region
We are pleased to announce our newest Regional Director of Client Relations & Engagement, Blaze Bowers. Blaze will serve prospective and current clients in the southeast region in his role at Grand River Solutions.Blaze is an experienced executive and...
Department of Education Releases New Resources About Asthma, Diabetes, Food Allergies, GERD.
On February 20, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released informational resources that inform students with disabilities, their families, and schools of their legal rights under Section 504. The resources describe the Section 504 protections...
A Guide to Compliance With New York State Education Law Articles 129-A and 129-B Submissions
Meeting the July 1, 2024 Deadline
By Andrea Stagg, Bill Boerner, and Joseph Storch, Grand River Solutions
January 2024
In Brief: Every ten years, public and private higher education institutions in New York State that are chartered by the Regents or created by an act of the Legislature and maintain a campus in the Empire State must submit to the State Education Department (SED) a full certification, including all relevant policies, under New York State Education Law Articles 129-a and 129-b.
OIRA is Now Reviewing the (Unreleased) 2024 Final Title IX Rule
As of Feb 2, the 2024 Final Title IX Rule on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex is under review with OIRA, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. OIRA is a division of the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of the Executive Office of the President. In our March article we anticipated that this review was a required part of this regulatory process, and that we likely would not see final rules without this step.
The Department of Education’s Regulatory Agenda for Spring 2024 and Beyond
The regulatory agenda reports on the Biden Administration’s plan for upcoming agency actions. A review of the plan for the Department of Education indicates a busy spring on a range of topics, including nondiscrimination. Remember that the dates on the agenda are...
Introducing Case Tracker, The Title IX & Equity Software Designed Specifically for Title IX & Equity Offices
Grand River Solutions, a leader in the Title IX and equity field, has announced the release of its new desktop and mobile app, Case Tracker. This ground-breaking software has been specifically designed for Title IX & equity work, and for student, staff and faculty cases alike, redefining expectations of how colleges and universities manage and track cases of harassment and discrimination.
A Summary of the Department of Education Webinar for Colleges and Universities: Leading Safe, Inclusive, and Nondiscriminatory Learning Environments During the War in the Middle East
The Department of Education discussed the importance of protecting fee speech while recognizing that some speech may contribute to a hostile environment as schools seek to balance the right of free speech with the reality of inflammatory rhetoric.
OCR Reaches Resolution of Sexual Harassment Investigation of Arcadia University in Pennsylvania
On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced a resolution agreement of a sexual harassment investigation of Arcadia University in Pennsylvania (“the University”). OCR found the University in violation of Title IX....
OCR Reaches Resolution of Sex-Based Harassment Investigation of Taft College in California
On October 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced a resolution agreement in its sex-based harassment investigation of Taft College in California. OCR found that Taft College failed to respond to repeated allegations that...