Policies & Guidelines
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Title IX
On April 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education published new Title IX regulations that outline how colleges and universities must respond to reports of sex discrimination and sex-based harassment. The regulations became effective on August 1, 2024. However, a recently issued injunction that applies to nearly 700 universities, including Full Sail, blocks the Department of Education from enforcing the 2024 Title IX regulations for any of the universities covered by the injunction. Unless, and until the injunction is lifted or narrowed, the existing regulations remain in effect. Therefore, Full Sail’s current Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures remain in effect until further notice.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from discrimination on the basis of sex. People are protected from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Full Sail University is committed to providing equal access to educational and employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, familial status, spousal affiliation, medical condition, military veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.
Full Sail does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities, including admissions and employment, as required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106.
The University will promptly respond to and equitably investigate complaints regarding prohibited conduct that may violate this policy in order to eliminate, prevent, and remedy the adverse effects of such conduct within University-related programs or activities.
The full Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures may be found here.
Prohibited conduct defined in the Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures can be committed by any individual, regardless of their gender. Prohibited conduct can occur between individuals of the same gender or different genders. It can occur between strangers or acquaintances, as well as people involved in intimate or sexual relationships. When the University determines whether alleged conduct violates this policy, it will consider all of the facts and circumstances involved in the incident, including the nature of the alleged conduct and the context in which it occurred.
- a. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a violation of Title IX and will not be tolerated at the University.
Sexual harassment means conduct on the basis of sex that satisfies one or more of the following:
- i. An employee of the University conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the University on an individual's participation in unwelcome sexual conduct;
- ii. Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the University's education program or activity. An example, may include, but is not limited to, unwelcome sex or gender-based jokes or comments, which are made in-person or conveyed electronically.
Sexual Harassment is deemed especially serious when submission to or rejection of such conduct is made implicitly or explicitly a term or condition of instruction, employment, or participation in any University program or activity; or submission to or rejection of these behaviors by an individual is used as a basis for evaluation in making academic or personnel decisions.
- b. Sexual assault, which means a forcible or nonforcible sex offense under the uniform crime reporting system of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
- c. Dating violence, which means violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social romantic relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the Complainant. The existence of such relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors; the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship;
- d. Domestic violence, which means felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the Complainant by a person with whom the Complainant shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the Complainant as a spouse or intimate partner, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the Complainant under the domestic violence or family violence laws of the state of Florida or by any other person against an adult or youth Complainant who is protected from that person's acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the state of Florida.
- e. Stalking, which means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others, or suffer substantial emotional distress.
The Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures governs the conduct of students, faculty, and staff, who are members of the University community. Sexual harassment complaints must include conduct that occurred within the context of the University's educational programs or activities and within the United States. This may extend to certain off-campus locations, where the University has substantial control over the parties, such as university-recognized activities and university-sponsored academic conferences. The University has an obligation to dismiss sexual harassment claims under this policy when the claim does not meet the definition of sexual harassment provided herein, or in circumstances where no formal, written complaint is made, or when the conduct occurred outside of this policy's stated jurisdiction. However, this does not prevent the University from taking action to address sex discrimination conduct. The University will take all complaints of misconduct and discrimination seriously and investigate the matter, which may occur through the University's Discrimination Grievance/Complaint Procedures.
The University's Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Compliance serves as the institution's Title IX Coordinator and coordinates the University's compliance with Title IX. All reports of potential violations of this policy should be made to the University's Title IX Coordinator. The Sexual Harassment Formal Complaint Form may be found here.
The Title IX Coordinator's contact information is as follows:
Shayne Cade
Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Compliance
3300 University Boulevard
Building 130 (Business Office)
Winter Park, FL 32792
407.679.0100
[email protected]
In addition to the University's Title IX Coordinator, University personnel have been designated to assist in the implementation of this policy and grievance procedure. Deputy Title IX Coordinators, Title IX Investigators, and hearing panel members all serve as members of the Title IX Team. All members of the Title IX Team receive Title IX training, including information on this policy, the definition of sexual harassment, the investigation and grievance process, and how to serve as an impartial member in the Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedures.
Inquiries regarding the application of Full Sail University's Title IX Policy may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights' contact information is as follows:
U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights
Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
OCR Email: [email protected]
OCR Hotline: 800.421.3481
Full Sail's Title IX Coordinator(s) and those involved in the Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures have received training for their roles. The training materials are provided here.
Full Sail University’s Title IX Policy
Sexual Harassment Formal Complaint Form
National Sexual Assault Hotline
Phone: 800.656.HOPE
Website: rainn.org
Start Your Recovery: Substance Abuse Resources & Support
Website: startyourrecovery.org
Victim Service Center of Central Florida, Inc.
2111 East Michigan Street, Suite 210
Orlando, FL 32806
24/7 Sexual Assault
Helpline: 407.497.6701
Phone: 407.254.9415
Email: [email protected]
Website: victimservicecenter.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Phone: 800.799.7233
Website: thehotline.org
Florida Council Against Sexual Violence
1820 E. Park Avenue, Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: 888.956.7273
Email: [email protected]
Website: fcasv.org
Employee Assistance Program
(for employees of Full Sail University)
ACI Specialty Benefits
Toll Free: 855.RSL.HELP (855.775.4357)
Email: [email protected]