Equity And Compliance - Garrett College
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Equity and Compliance

The Office of Equity and Compliance oversees the College's compliance with Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, Clery Act, and other federal and state laws, regulations and requirements. The Office of Equity and Compliance serves as a method of recourse to those, be they student, faculty, or staff, who believe that a particular action on the part of a College member has violated accepted or stated institutional practices and standards.

Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy Statement

Garrett College adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in public institutions of higher education. Garrett College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student or applicant for admission on the basis of race, religion, personal appearance, color, sex, pregnancy, political affiliation, source of income, place of business, residence, creed, ethnicity, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, physical or mental disability (including perceived disability), age, marital status, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other protected category under applicable local, state or federal law, including protections for those opposing discrimination or participating in any grievance process on campus or within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or other human rights agencies.

This policy covers nondiscrimination in both employment and in access to educational opportunities. Therefore, any member of the Garrett College community who acts to deny, deprive or limit the educational or employment access, benefits and/or opportunities of any member of the campus community, guest or visitor on the basis of that person’s actual or perceived membership in the protected classes listed above is in violation of the College policy on nondiscrimination. When brought to the attention of the College, any such discrimination will be promptly and fairly addressed and remedied by the College according to the appropriate grievance process as outlined in the policy. Non-members of the campus community who engage in discriminatory actions within College programs or on College property are not under the jurisdiction of this policy, but can be subject to actions that limit their access and/or involvement with College programs as the result of their misconduct. All vendors serving the College through third-party contracts are subject by those contracts to the policies and procedures of their employers or to these policies and procedures, to which their employer has agreed to be bound.

Title IX

Title IX is federal 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."

Garrett College prohibits all forms of sexual and gender based discrimination, harassment, and misconduct, including but not limited to, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, sexual assault, non-consensual sexual contact, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking that may occur between people of the same or different sexes, gender identities or expressions, or sexual orientation.

If you have any questions or concerns or if you need to make a complaint, contact the Director of Equity and Compliance, Shelley Menear in TECH-303, by email at shelley.menear@garrettcollege.edu, or by phone at (301) 387-3037.

Reporting Options

Individuals have the right to file a complaint or grievance with the following entities:

Garrett College
Office of Equity and Compliance
687 Mosser Road, Tech Building Room 303
McHenry, MD 21541
Phone: 301-387-3037
Email: equitycompliance@garrettcollege.edu

Anonymous reporting can be completed using the "Reasonable Concern" reporting tool

Department of Education: Office of Civil Rights
Office for Civil Rights, Philadelphia Office
U.S. Department of Education
The Wanamaker Building
100 Penn Square East, Suite 515
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323
Telephone: (215) 656-8541
Facsimile: (215) 656-8605
Email: OCR.Philadelphia@ed.gov

Maryland Higher Education Commission
Director of Academic Affairs
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 N. Liberty Street, 10th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
FAX: 410-332-0270
Email: collegiatecomplaint.mhec@maryland.gov

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Complaints and Third Party Comments information
Email: complaints@msche.org
Middle States Commission on Higher Education 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
File an online complaint: https://www.msche.org/complaints/

Title IX Training

Garrett College's Title IX staff, including, Investigators, Decision Makers and Coordinator, all hold ATIXA Certification. More information on the training materials and content provided to the College's Title IX staff is available at https://www.atixa.org/2020-regulations-requirement-posting-of-training-materials/. Below is a list of current events/trainings that Title IX staff have attended:

All incoming employees at time of hire, are required to complete a primary Title IX training, which is available in the Employee Compliance Training, located in Blackboard. Slides for this primary training are available here: Employee TIX Training 2022

For detailed information about policy, procedures, and prevention education, click the following links:

Additional Links: