Increased awareness of anti-discrimination rights on campuses and new reporting duties.
This Act increases student awareness of their rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin) through mandatory public awareness campaigns and prominent links for filing complaints on college websites. This provides greater transparency and makes it easier for students to report discrimination. Furthermore, institutions must annually report the number and nature of complaints to the federal government, enhancing oversight of civil rights compliance in higher education.
Key points
Colleges must prominently display a link on their homepages to the federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) where individuals can file complaints regarding race, color, or national origin discrimination.
Institutions are required to annually display and post public awareness campaign materials about anti-discrimination rights (Title VI) in high-traffic public places (e.g., student centers and student services web pages).
Institutions receiving federal funds must annually report to the Department of Education's Inspector General the number and substance of discrimination complaints received, along with the actions taken.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) cannot close or dismiss a complaint solely because it was resolved by another federal, state, or local agency or through the institution's internal grievance procedures, ensuring students retain a federal avenue for redress.
The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights must provide monthly briefings to Congress detailing the number of complaints received, plans for addressing them, and the duration of open cases.
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