Equal Opportunity and Access Policies
Including Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Assault, Sexual Exploitation, Intimate Partner Violence, Stalking, Complicity, and Retaliation.
The grievance process is intended to investigate and where possible resolve complaints of alleged sexual misconduct, discrimination, complicity, or retaliation against prospective employees, employees, prospective students, and students involved at the Amherst campus. The guidelines below are to be used by the EOA Office to enable all University complainants to use the grievance process to resolve the initiating problem without fear of retaliation.
UMass Amherst prohibits sexual misconduct and other forms of discrimination and harassment as required by federal and state law. The University’s Title IX Policy and Procedures apply solely to those report and complaints that fall within Title IX’s definition of sexual harassment. The Title IX Policy Hearing Procedures govern the hearing process for formal complaints filed under the Title IX Policy and Procedures.
The University’s requirement to not discriminate on the basis of sex extends to employment, application for employment, and admission to its education programs or activities.
The University supports the use of service and assistance animals on campus in compliance with applicable federal and state laws. This policy sets forth roles and responsibilities of individuals bringing animals on campus.
Related Federal Laws and Reporting Mandates
Like other campuses across the country, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is required to comply with a multitude of federal laws regarding sexual violence response:
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC § 1092(f)) is the landmark federal law, originally known as the Campus Security Act, that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. The law is tied to an institution's participation in federal student financial aid programs and it applies to most institutions of higher education both public and private. The Act is enforced by the United States Department of Education.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal funding. Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment, sexual battery, sexual assault, and rape. Title IX applies to all public and private educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance.
