Title IX changed how federally-funded schools and institutions treat gender equality. A part of the Education Amendments passed in 1972, Title IX promises that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Any educational establishment that receives federal funds must comply with the statement above. Title IX ensures equality in key areas where groups have previously been denied entrance, such as:
- Recruitment
- Admissions
- Counseling
- Financial Aid
- Athletics
Title IX also prevents harassment and mistreatment of protected groups. Individuals can file a claim against sex-based harassment, mistreatment of students who are parents or pregnant, LGBTQI inequality, or barriers to employment.
The Office of Civil Rights handles discrimination claims for all institutions under Title IX. Additionally, each establishment has a Title IX Coordinator. Section 106.8 states that “Each recipient must designate and authorize at least one employee to coordinate its efforts to comply with its responsibilities.” A Title IX coordinator handles infractions and can report formal complaints to the OCA.
Every Title IX Coordinator needs robust resources to ensure they can guide their institution to compliance. A popular option on the rise is Title IX case management software. We’ll review institutions that fall under Title IX, common compliance issues, and how investigative case management software can streamline these problems.
Institutions Under Title IX Compliance
Title IX compliance is synonymous with colleges and universities, but it’s not limited to those institutions. Any organization that receives federal funding for education falls under a Title IX compliance program. This list includes, but is not limited to:
- Local school districts
- Charter schools
- For-profit schools
- Libraries
- Museums
- Independent agencies such as the National Science Foundation
- Vocational rehabilitation agencies
Common Issues in Title IX Compliance Programs
Title IX was an important step forward in the fight for equality in the United States. However, there are significant issues with the program that need to be addressed at the institutional level. Doing so ensures that the promise of Title IX is fulfilled to the marginalized groups that need it.
To solve these problems, they must first be acknowledged and understood. Here are four common issues found in a Title IX compliance program.
1. Overworked Case Managers
The assignment of a Title IX coordinator is a requirement of Title IX compliance programs. The issue that arises is that there only has to be one coordinator at each institution. These coordinators essentially work as Title IX case managers, where they must understand:
- How to implement Title IX to promote safety on campus
- How to investigate complaints of sexual discrimination
- How to monitor the overall compliance of the agency with Title IX rules and regulations
This may seem like a simple job, but consider the size of the institutions that receive federal funding. For example, the University of California, Davis had a total student population size of 40,722 for the 2022 fall quarter. All of these students have one Title IX Officer who serves the school.
A large student population like this means there will be more cases, leading to overworked case managers. They need Title IX software for data entry and organization to ensure that they can spend as much time as possible focusing on compliance. If not, they’ll end up wasting time with administrative tasks such as data entry.
2. Lack of Awareness of Resources
Title IX can only make change on campuses if women, non-binary, and other LGBTQI+ individuals know that it exists. A major issue in Title IX compliance is a lack of awareness of on-campus and institutional resources. Many students graduate and don’t even know who their Title IX Coordinator is.
Institutions need to make all of these resources readily available to every student at the start of their enrollment. The contact information of the Title IX coordinator, including at least their phone number and email, should be easily accessible. However, it shouldn’t just be listed online because some students may not even know that Title IX exists. Send the information out via email and include it with introductory brochures to educate students on Title IX.
3. Inefficient Reporting Structures
The safety of students on campus is the priority of Title IX. Anyone who witnesses a Title IX violation or becomes a victim of one needs to know exactly how to report the crime. It’s the responsibility of the Title IX coordinator to create simple, streamlined systems of reporting, and to follow through on every inquiry.
However, with only one coordinator for each institution, requests can slip through the cracks. The non-profit group Know Your IX offers solutions for a fair process of on-campus assault investigations for complainants and respondents. A few of their recommendations include:
- Prompt notice of rights and responsibilities for all parties involved.
- Collect all evidence in one place, such as case management software, and review it with enough time to respond thoughtfully.
- Advise each party under the law, and provide legal counsel as needed.
4 Ways Case Management Software Improves Title IX Compliance
The work of a Title IX case manager is critical to the safety and security of individuals at federally funded educational institutions. Ensure that your Title IX employees can avoid the problems listed above with the implementation of case management software.
1. Simplifies Collecting Information for Investigation Reports
Every Title IX coordinator must collect information for investigation reports. Rather than using paper or disjointed Word documents, use investigative case management software to simplify the collection process. Create customized forms that include every question that each party needs to answer. Send these out via the software, and then the answers will be collected in a central location. No digging through a desktop or notebook to find the answers needed once writing a report.
Case management software simplifies follow-up for information. Powerful dashboards allow a Title IX coordinator to track each case and the steps needed to be taken. They can look at one location to see what’s left outstanding and who they need to follow up with to complete the report.
2. Frees Up Time for Title IX Coordinators to Focus on More Important Work
Every Title IX case manager needs more time. A case management software system creates a portal where all the information they need is in one place. They can create new projects for each inquiry, easily transfer data from one document to another, and submit documents online to cut down on excessive paperwork.
Streamlined processes mean that Title IX coordinators will have more time to do more important work, such as reviewing evidence, writing their investigative reports, and working with the administration to better implement Title IX compliance policies.
3. Ensures Investigations Are Completed on Time
There is no exact rule for how quickly an investigation needs to be completed, only that it must be done in a “reasonably prompt timeframe.” If an investigation takes too long, an institution risks losing its federal funding. Systems must be in place to guarantee that investigations are handled promptly.
Use case management software as Title IX tracking software to set up tasks for each step in the process. These can be automatically populated for each investigation[1], and then create due dates for an active timeline.
The recommended timeline for investigations is:
- Initial interview and evidence: 1-4 weeks
- Summary statements and responses: 1-6 months
- Investigation report: 2-4 weeks later
- Case outcome: 1-2 weeks later
4. Speeds Up the Process of Written Notice
Before any Title IX investigation, the assailant or harasser must be informed that a complaint has been filed against them. A recent study from Fire.org found that 71% of schools don’t provide timely and adequate notice of the allegations to ensure the accused has time to prepare for the initial interview and evidence collection. This is even more important now that the complaint process can be expedited under recent changes to Title IX.
When working in case management software, Title IX coordinators can create tasks to remind themselves to send out written notices by a certain date. To streamline writing each notice, customizable forms can be made. The case manager simply has to fill in the missing information and send the document to the accused. That way, all parties are informed in enough time to prepare for the investigation.
Case management software such as PlanStreet has an exhaustive list of existing forms that case managers use. If one of those doesn’t work, any of them can be customized or a new form can be created from scratch.
Achieve Optimal Title IX Compliance With PlanStreet
PlanStreet’s case management software ensures Title IX coordinators can plan, execute, and track reporting at a higher level. Our software can be customized to meet the needs of each organization, and we can work with Title IX coordinators to make sure the software streamlines their workload.
Plus, all data will remain safe because of our HIPAA and HITRUST security standard compliance. To learn more about how PlanStreet can refine Title IX compliance for your institution, schedule a free introductory call today.