Title IX & Smith College
Smith College is committed to meeting its obligations under Title IX and maintaining an environment that is free of sex discrimination, including harassment. Such conduct is detrimental to the well-being of our community.
Accordingly, the college will act to prevent, address and eliminate all forms of sex discrimination, which include sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual exploitation. Through its policies, procedures and practices the college will facilitate prompt, thorough and fair investigations and adjudication of complaints of sexual misconduct. The college raises awareness of the culture that enables such misconduct and provides a supportive environment for those who experience sexual harassment.
What Happens When You Report
When any Smith community member contacts the Title IX office—or when the Title IX office learns of an incident—the Title IX coordinator reaches out to begin a conversation and open an investigation. In the initial meeting, the community member receives information about available support. Students, in particular, can access support ranging from academic adjustments to counseling, no-contact letters and alternative housing arrangements. Community members also receive information about on- and off-campus resources, as well as reporting options with the Title IX office. The office provides information about reporting to Campus Safety, who can facilitate a connection with local law enforcement if the incident occurred off campus.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires that all educational institutions that receive federal funds or financial assistance prohibit sex discrimination in their education programs and activities. It reads, in relevant part:
“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.”
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulation at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 (“Title IX”).
Title IX’s prohibition of sex discrimination is broad and far-reaching. It includes prohibitions against all forms of sexual discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking, referred to collectively here as “sexual misconduct.”
Smith’s Title IX Coordinator
Title IX Coordinator
Martha Alexander
Email: malexander@smith.edu
Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Human Resources
Anne-Marie Szmyt
Associate Vice President, Human Resources
42 West Street
Garrison Hall
Telephone: 413-585-2260
Email: aszmyt@smith.edu
Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics
Jess Duff
Associate Director of Athletics
Ainsworth Gymnasium
Telephone: 413-585-2713
Email: jduff@smith.edu
Deputy Title IX Coordinator for the Campus School
Laura Tiktin-Sharic
Assistant Head of School, Campus School of Smith College
Gill Hall
Telephone: 413-585-3270
Email: ltiktinsharick@smith.edu
Responsibilities of the Title IX Coordinator
Smith’s Title IX coordinator is responsible for coordinating compliance efforts under Title IX, including in areas of training, education, communication and the administration of related policies and procedures applicable to faculty, staff, students and other members of the college community.
Complaints Under Title IX
Under Title IX, the college is required to prevent and respond to sex discrimination, which includes gender-based and sexual misconduct against students, faculty, and staff, whether perpetrated by peers or by employees of the institution. The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for investigating all forms of gender-based and sexual misconduct. Accordingly, members of the college community may file complaints of gender-based or sexual misconduct with the Title IX Coordinator in the Office for Equity and Inclusion (OEI). You may also file a report online.
Students
Gender-based and sexual misconduct is any unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior that significantly interferes with a student’s success or access to educational opportunities at the college. A student with a complaint alleging gender-based and sexual misconduct should report it to the Title IX coordinator. Complaints regarding sexual violence (sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking) may also be reported to the Smith College Campus Safety Department or the Dean of Students Office. Complaints of sexual misconduct between Smith College students or where the individual allegedly committing the misconduct is a Smith College student are governed by the Smith College Student Code and applicable state and federal laws.
Faculty and Staff
A college faculty/staff member with a complaint alleging sexual misconduct in violation of Smith College’s policies should utilize the Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy for employees or Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, depending on the nature of the conduct, to report it to a supervisor or department head, the associate vice president for human resources, the assistant director of human resources, and the director of equal opportunity and compliance/Title IX coordinator. Complaints of sexual misconduct involving faculty or staff or where the individual allegedly committing the misconduct is a Smith College student are governed by either the Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy in the Employee Handbook or Sexual Misconduct Policy for student complainants and applicable state and federal law.
A Note About the Five College System
Smith College is joined with Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to form the Five College Consortium. Smith College students, when participating in a program or activity of one of the five colleges, riding a Five College bus or attending a college-related event for one of the five colleges, will be subject to Smith policies as well as the policies of the visited institution. The student conduct adjudication procedures of the institution at which the accused student is enrolled shall govern. Five-College students, including Smith College students, who wish to report concerning behavior that occurs at an institution other than their home campus may do so by contacting the Title IX officer/coordinator at either:1) their home institution; or 2) the institution where either a) the behavior occurred or b) where the alleged perpetrator of the concerning conduct is enrolled. As appropriate, the Smith Title IX coordinator will coordinate with another institution in support of any persons affected by reported sexual misconduct.
Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education
Individuals experiencing harassment or discrimination always have the right to file a formal grievance with government authorities. To do so, contact:
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) - Boston Office
U.S Department of Education
8th Floor
5 Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109-3921
Telephone: 617-289-0111
Fax: 617-289-0150
Email: ORC.Boston@ed.gov
Web: http://www.ed.gov/ocr
Information and Resources for Pregnant and Parenting Students
Title IX provides for equal educational opportunities for pregnant and parenting students. It prohibits educational institutions from discriminating against pregnant students based upon their marital status and cannot discriminate against a student because of childbirth, false pregnancy or recovery from related conditions.
A pregnant student must be granted a leave of absence for as long as it is deemed medically necessary for the student to be absent. At the conclusion of the student’s leave, the student must be allowed to resume the status that the student held when the leave began.
For further guidance, see the “Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students” brochure. Although this pamphlet focuses on secondary schools, the legal principles apply to all recipients of federal financial assistance, including postsecondary institutions.
If you have any questions regarding your rights as a pregnant or parenting student, please contact the Title IX coordinator.