Higher Ed Counsel & Strategic Solutions

Title VI issues continue to garner increased attention across higher education, making summer an important time for institutions to assess whether their policies are prepared for the year ahead. In addition to the risk of federal enforcement actions and lawsuits, student complaints, programming disputes, harassment allegations, bias incidents, and questions about institutional response can all test the clarity and adequacy of a campus policy framework.

Summer is a critical time for reviewing Title IX policies and procedures before the start of a new academic year. When students return, institutions need more than technically compliant language. They need policies that are current, internally consistent, and practical for the employees responsible for implementing them. Because Title IX obligations affect reporting, response, supportive measures, investigations, resolution processes, and training, even small policy gaps can create confusion at sensitive moments.

Summer is the ideal time to revisit and revise student conduct policies before orientation and move-in begin. Conduct systems sit at the intersection of legal compliance, institutional values, and student expectations. When policies are outdated, unclear, or inconsistent with legal requirements or campus practice, problems can arise quickly. A well-timed summer review helps institutions confirm that their conduct framework is not only compliant with the law, but also understandable to students, workable for student affairs staff, and better positioned to withstand legal and public scrutiny when difficult cases emerge.

Before the semester begins, colleges and universities often focus on visible logistics such as move-in, orientation, course schedules, and staffing. Just as important, however, is ensuring that the right people are trained before students and faculty return. Institutions are better positioned when the employees most likely to receive complaints and reports understand their roles, reporting obligations, and institutional policies before the fall term is underway.

Summer is often the most practical time to reduce legal risk on campus. While most students are away and the academic calendar appears quieter, institutional leaders know this is when many of the decisions that shape the upcoming academic year are made. Policies are revised, trainings are scheduled, contracts are renewed, and the fiscal year turns over.