For Equity Professionals in ADA/504, Title VI, VII, and IX
Author: Amber Abud, Investigation, Hearing, & Appeal Services
It’s a new academic year. Are you ready? Here are some steps you can take to make sure your Equity offices are set up for success.
Institutional Review
Did you make changes to your processes and policies last year or over the summer? If so, make sure your staff and key stakeholders are trained on implementation.
Assess annual training requirements and team compliance and schedule trainings.
Confirm that all resource links and points of contact are up to date across all policies, template communications, publications, and websites.
Start working toward making sure all content and materials meet digital accessibility requirements.
Review and update forms and communication templates as needed.
Make sure your Title IX/Equity Office has a sound procedure for timely Clery reporting obligations.
For your Clery Coordinator, your 2026 Annual Security Report (ASR) must be published and distributed by October 1, 2026.
Cross Divisional Overview and Assessment
Make sure your Equity/Title IX Office has a process in place for coordinating with accommodation/disability offices as needed and put appropriate workflows in place.
For all offices handling disability-related accommodations, identify accommodations that require review and/or renewal for the upcoming academic year.
Identify disciplinary actions through partner offices (Student Conduct, Human Resources) that may have been on hold or delayed, and that require additional action or completion in this academic year.
Identify opportunities throughout the academic year to network with partner offices (athletics, clubs, Greek Life, Residential Life), and the community for upcoming events (orientations and back-to-school events, fairs, community events).
For Each Office: Overview and Assessment
Review current caseloads to assess resources and allocation.
Develop a strategic staffing plan in anticipation of an increased or unexpected caseload.
Identify the status of all open cases to make sure they are on track.
Review data for trends, to better identify strategic workflows, and support planning.
Review data tracking sources from the previous academic year for record and retention obligations and update data tracking source for the new academic year.
Schedule calendar-recurring meetings with key stakeholders [Students of Concern, Threat Assessment Teams, Student Conduct, Faculty Affairs, Clery, Compliance Team], as applicable.
Review the current pool of volunteer or delegated resources trained in decision making, advising, and facilitating hearings or alternative resolutions. Confirm each person’s continued commitment and identify any training gaps and develop a plan for needed trainings.
Consider and plan for expanding your pool of delegated resources.
Identify opportunities for department-specific trainings and schedule those trainings.
