Update on Vassar’s Title IX and Nondiscrimination Policies

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

In light of recent executive orders and letters from the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, we want to take a moment to communicate updates to our policies and procedures. Vassar College follows state and federal nondiscrimination laws, and we remain firmly committed to our nondiscrimination policy–which includes protections based on gender identity, expression, and sexual orientation. 

In February 2025, the U.S. Department of Education reinstated the 2020 Title IX regulations introduced during the first Trump administration. As a result, federally-funded schools must update their Title IX policies. Vassar’s Title IX Policy and resolution procedures are being updated as follows.  

What’s Changing

• Definition of Sexual Harassment: Schools must return to the "severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive" standard for assessing sex-based harassment, replacing the 2024 standard of “subjectively and objectively offensive” and "sufficiently severe or pervasive." 
• Live Virtual Hearing: We will return to a live virtual hearing format for Title IX complainants (only), with cross-examination conducted by the parties' advisors.
• Refined Policies: We're simplifying policy language for clarity and accessibility. A redesigned website with visual guides will launch by the end of the Spring semester to streamline navigation and understanding.

What Hasn’t Changed:

• Nondiscrimination Protections: The College’s Nondiscrimination Policy explicitly addresses a wider range of protected characteristics that aligns with and reflects our educational mission and values as a liberal arts institution.
• Supportive Measures: We will continue to provide supportive measures, even if there is no formal complaint, that are free, non-punitive and do not unreasonably burden either party.
• Equitable Procedures: Relevant procedures are designed to promote fairness, impartiality, and transparency. Vassar offers a variety of resolution paths providing flexibility, particularly for parties who wish to engage in voluntary informal resolutions.
• Decision-Making:  Trained external decision-makers handle Title IX hearings and administrative resolutions, promoting fairness and applying the “preponderance of the evidence” standard. 
• Advisor Support: Complainants and respondents may access an advisor throughout the formal complaint and resolution process, including an attorney, or an appointed advisor at no cost. A support person may also accompany them.

We are actively monitoring for additional regulatory updates, and we will continue to seek input from the Title IX Student Advisory Committee, Faculty Policy and Conference Committee (FPCC), the Campus Climate Committee, and General Counsel. Our goal is to be as responsive as possible while advocating for policies that reflect Vassar's core values–including academic freedom and free expression, as outlined in the College’s Statement on Academic Freedom and Respect for Persons.

We will keep the campus updated on any substantive policy changes via the following link: https://offices.vassar.edu/institutional-equity/news/

Vassar remains committed to prioritizing prevention through educational programming and early intervention, and to addressing reports and concerns promptly, equitably, fairly, and compassionately.  For any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action / Title IX. You can find additional information and campus resources, including confidential support, on our website: https://offices.vassar.edu/institutional-equity/.

Thank you for your attention to these important updates.