The Strategy Hub—Updates & Guidance
Between OCR regional office closures and shifting federal priorities, it’s hard to keep up. Use this page as a resource for accessing timely and in-depth analysis of the events and what they mean for your community.
Join us for Our New Weekly Series
What the?! is the question we are all asking. Here to help you make sense of the chaos are Andrea Stagg and Emma Hempel, AKA Everyone’s Favorite Facilitators. As leaders in the legal and practitioner spaces, the dynamic duo will be offering analyses and action plans, starting with a discussion of recent events.
More than a news update, this is an opportunity to reset, connect, and hear practical steps to meeting the challenges facing civil rights and equity professionals.
Calm in the Chaos: Practical Guidance for Campus Civil Rights Professionals.
Every Tuesday, starting March 25. 11am PDT/ 2pm EDT
A Message from our Co-Founders about the ever-changing equity landscape.
6 STRATEGIES FOR YOUR OFFICE
1) Keep Communicating
-Make sure your leadership knows the scope of your office’s compliance obligations, not only for federal but also for state laws.
-Considering sending a message to your community about recent changes and how the work of the office may or may not be impacted.
-Communicate with parties and their advisors if you are planning to modify the procedure for their cases.
-Activate your civil rights stakeholder team to determine whether your policies or trainings need updating.
-Identify groups to be trained and determine when and how they will be trained. Ensure that personnel implementing your policies recieve updated training.
3) Phone a Friend
Our Practioner-experts are here for consulting when you need us. We’ve travelled the route of changing regs and can help steer the path to a smooth transition.
4) Train with Practioners Who've Done the Work
The work is hard. Your training doesn’t need to be. Choose engaging training that is informative, practical, and enjoyable. Our facilitators are experienced practitioners who have done the work. We love our team. We think you will too.
Andrea Stagg
Director of Consulting Services
Joseph Storch
Senior Director of Compliance & Innovation
Jody Shipper
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Kelly Gallagher
Title IX Coordinator Services, Prod. Mgr.
Adam Wolkoff
Assistant Director of Resolution Services
Emma Hempel
Title IX Coordinator Services
and
Contact us for Private or In Person Training
5) Support Your Work with The Right Software
The 2020 Title IX Regulations—Case Tracker Can Help
Case Tracker is designed to be configured to your policies and procedures, regardless of the regulatory changes. There is the ability to configure multiple procedural workflows so that it’s easy to pivot back and forth depending on the case AND to pull the information out of the system based on the regulatory requirements. It’s built to be flexible through the changes.
Case Tracker is simply the premier resource available for complying with the 2020 Regulations and for meeting the demands of your Equal Opportunity and Title IX & Equity offices.
- automatically checks those added expectations off your to-do list, which include the collection of data that you need to fulfill your monitoring obligations
- organizes, defines, and automates the processes for each type of case, based on the applicable policy produces the data that
- demonstrates the effectiveness of your response processes, engendering trust in the system
Find out today what Case Tracker can do for your community. Plus, talk to our Client Engagement Team about combining Case Tracker with Policy & Consulting Services to create a cost-saving package.
RECENT NEWS
U.S. Department of Education Continues Focus on Antisemitism for its Title VI Enforcement–Analysis & Action Plan
On March 10, 2025, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it sent letters to 60 colleges and universities “warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students...
Section 504 at Risk with Pending Litigation
On September 26, 2024, seventeen states filed the lawsuit challenging the HHS Section 504 regulations and the constitutionality of Section 504. There were four bases alleged.
“The Final Rule exceeds Defendants’ statutory authority when it includes ‘gender dysphoria’ in the definition of “disability” under the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act.”
“The Final Rule is Arbitrary and Capricious.”
“Section 504 is unconstitutional.”
“The Final Rule is Unconstitutional.”
AG’s of Several States Issue Joint Guidance on Dept. of ED’s Dear Colleague Letter and FAQ
On March 5, 2025, the Attorneys General of Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia issued Joint Guidance regarding the Department...
THE RIVER CONNECT
Recent Sessions:
New Regs, Old Regs, Which Way is up?
Although there is uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the vacatur, the team at Grand River Solutions is here to support you every step of the way. We held a Special Info Session on The River Connect for the latest updates, recommended next steps to help process the confusion, and group therapy. We will get through this together. Start with downloading the 2024 Regs Vacatur Checklist: Prepare for the Return to 2020 Title IX Regs.
What Now? Civil Rights and Campus Safety in the New Administration
The incoming administration has signaled changes to federal laws and regulations affecting campus response to harms that impact students and employees. Experts at Grand River Solutions have been tracking and assessing these possible changes. Join us for a 90-minute webinar as we unpack the potential shifts, share predictions and insights, and outline possible timelines to help your institution stay prepared. Regulation topics covered: Title IX, the Clery Act, as amended by the Stop Campus Hazing Act, Title VI, ADA/504 accessibility, and the VAWA climate survey.
Facilitators: Jody Shipper, Andrea Stagg, Judy Risch, and Joseph Storch
If you missed this or other past events, stay tuned for upcoming complimentary info sessions.
