Title IX

Title IX is a civil rights law that states: "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."

Based on Title IX and its regulations, University Policy prohibits discrimination based on sex or gender, which include a person’s dating or domestic violence experiences, pregnancy/pregnancy loss, milk expression/lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Additionally, University policy prohibits misconduct such as sexual or gender-based harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and retaliation.

Learn More about University Policies Related to Title IX

Each Community College has a Title IX Office, led by a Title IX Coordinator, that is responsible for complying with Title IX and University policies. Title IX Offices provide a variety of services for Community College faculty, staff, and students, including:

• Responding to reports of sex discrimination and gender violence
• Offering resources and support to people impacted by sex discrimination and gender violence
• Ensuring equal access to College education, programs, or services (e.g., coordinating lactation spaces, assisting with chosen name or gender-marker changes, helping to arrange for short-term academic or work accommodations, etc.)
• Spearheading awareness, prevention, and mandatory reporting on their campus

Connect with your Title IX Office:

• Hawaiʻi Community College Title IX Office
• Honolulu Community College Title IX Office
• Kapiʻolani Community College Title IX Office
• Kauaʻi Community College Title IX Office
• Leeward Community College Title IX Office
• UH Maui College Title IX Office
• Windward Community College Title IX Office
• Office of Compliance, EEO/AA, and Title IX with the Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges

Please note, Title IX Offices and Title IX Coordinators are not confidential resources.

Confidential resources are available to Community College students, faculty, and staff. Confidential advocates provide a variety of services including:

• Safety planning
• Aid in accessing rights and resources on and off campus
• Support with deciding whether you would like to report to the University
• Assistance with reporting to local police
• Support throughout any formal University adjudication process

Find your confidential advocate

Each Community College also offers confidential mental health and wellness counseling services to students.

Connect with counseling services

The Employee Assistance Program offers counseling services to faculty and staff.

A Responsible Employee, sometimes called a Mandatory Reporter, is a University employee that is required by law or University policy to promptly share knowledge, notice, and/or reports of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation with their school’s Title IX Coordinator.

Responsible Employees have important duties under the law, but they also play a critical role in ensuring that Title IX Coordinators can reach out to those impacted by sex-based misconduct about their rights and resources available to them. Reports from Responsible Employees also allow Title IX Coordinators to monitor for concerning trends or patterns (like in stalking cases) that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Who is a Responsible Employee?

• All faculty members except those officially designated confidential advocates (per Hawaiʻi law)
• Human Resources Offices
• Campus Security or Public Safety Departments
• University Managerial and Executive employees
• University Office of Equity Assurance
• OVPCC’s Office of Civil Rights & Compliance

What must Responsible Employees do?

Responsible Employees must promptly report to the Title IX Coordinator any known details of sexual or gender-based misconduct that would violate University policy. Within three (3) calendar days of receiving a report, the Responsible Employee must share all details that they observed or know of. They must share what they know about the alleged misconduct, even if they learned the information through someone other than the people directly involved.

Generally, disclosures in climate surveys, classroom writing assignments or discussions, human subjects research, or at events such as marches or speak-outs do not provide notice that must be reported to the Coordinator by employees, unless the Complainant clearly indicates that they desire a report to be made or seek a specific response from the University. Supportive measures may be offered as the result of such disclosures without formal action.

Responsible employees are NOT responsible for investigating reports shared with them.

What happens if I share information about sexual misconduct with a Responsible Employee?

The Responsible Employee must, under the law, promptly share what they learn with the Title IX Coordinator. Next, the Title IX Coordinator will reach out to the person impacted by the reported misconduct to offer information and resources. The person impacted by the misconduct can choose whether or not they wish to speak with the Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator may use the reported information for monitoring campus climate and trends and/or for non-identifying reporting purposes.

UH offers two excellent trainings about Title IX and Preventing Harassment and Discrimination.

Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges and the Community Colleges also host regular awareness, education, and prevention programming, including annual events for:

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)

Equity Explored Webinar Series