Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities.
At Quinsigamond Community College we honor and value all who work and study here. We acknowledge our responsibility to create and maintain an environment that affirms the diversity of people and ideas. We support and pursue a policy of inclusiveness that recognizes, values and reflects the diversity of the community we serve and the world in which we live. Quinsigamond Community College is in full compliance with all federal and state laws mandating universal access and equal treatment for all.
Affirmative Action
More Resources
Visit the following to learn more.
- Affirmative Action Officer (“AAO”): A College employee assigned the responsibility of administering the College’s Affirmative Action Policy. For Affirmative action concerns please contact Sara Simms, Assistant Director of Human Resources, at 508.854.2757 or ssimms@qcc.mass.edu.
- ADA/504 Coordiantor: A College employee assigned the responsibility for maintaining the College’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Alleged violations of the ADA or Section 504 shall be subject to the Affirmative Action Policy’s Complaint Procedure as administered by the Affirmative Action Officer or Compliance officer.
- Title IX Coordinator: A College employee assigned the responsibility for maintaining the College’s compliance with Title IX. The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for administering the Affirmative Action Policy and its Complaint Procedure concerning all Title IX Offenses. There are also Deputy Title IX Coordinators designated to assist the Title IX Coordinator. For questions regarding Title IX, ADA or other related matters, please contact Liz Woods, Dean for Compliance and Education, via email at lwoods@qcc.mass.edu or by phone at 508.854.2791
- Title IX specifically prohibits discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions.
- Under Title IX, it is illegal for schools to exclude a pregnant student from participating in any of an educational program. Schools may implement special instructional programs or classes for a pregnant student, but participation must be completely voluntary on the part of the student, and the programs and classes must be comparable to those offered to other students.
- Schools must excuse a student’s absences because of pregnancy or childbirth for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences medically necessary. When a student returns to school, they must be allowed to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before their medical leave began.
- Any special services provided to students who have temporary medical conditions must also be provided to a pregnant student.
Frequently Asked Questions
May a college (professor, staff member, etc.) ask or require a pregnant student to obtain a doctor’s note before allowing them to attend school? What if this request is because its late in the pregnancy and/or the college is worried about the student’s health or safety?
No. Colleges (professors, staff members, or otherwise employed by the institution) cannot require a pregnant student to produce a doctor’s note in order to stay in school or participate in activities, unless the same requirement to obtain a doctor’s note applies to all students being treated by a doctor.
Does a college have to excuse a student’s absences due to pregnancy or childbirth?
Yes. Title IX requires a college to excuse a student’s absences due to pregnancy or related conditions, including recovery from childbirth, for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences to be medically necessary. When the student returns to college, they must be reinstated to the status they held when the leave began, which should include giving them the opportunity to make up any work missed. A college may offer the student alternatives to making up missed work, such as a retaking a semester, taking part in an online course, or allowing additional time in a program to continue at the same pace and finish at a later date, especially after longer periods of leave.
Does a pregnant student have the right to participate in co-curricular or off campus opportunities sponsored by the College?
Yes. The college must allow pregnant students to continue participating in off-campus programs and any programs sponsored by the institution. For example, if a program at the College presents opportunities for an internship, the college cannot deny the pregnant student participation based on their pregnancy. In addition, a college cannot require a doctor’s note for this participation, unless the college requires one for all students who have a medical condition that requires treatment by the doctor.
May a faculty member require that students disclose a pregnancy to them? What if the student appears visibly pregnant, has not disclosed the pregnancy, and the professor is concerned about the student’s health and well-being and wants to make sure they are able to complete the work for the course?
No. The college must leave it up to the student to decide what is disclosed. While the college must offer the student rights should they disclose, no one can force a student to share the status of their pregnancy. In addition, the college must leave it up to the student and their doctor to decide whether to take time off, miss classes, when to return after giving birth, etc. even if the faculty member is concerned for the health and well-being of the student.
What if some professors have their own policies about class attendance and make-up work?
Colleges and Universities must ensure that the policies and practices of individual professors do not discriminate against pregnant students. For example,
- Professors may not refuse to allow a student to submit work after a deadline that they missed because of absences due to pregnancy or childbirth.
- If the grading process is based in part on class attendance or participation, the student should be allowed to earn the credits they missed so that they can be reinstated to the status they had before the leave.
Lactation/Mothers' Rooms
Please be advised that nursing mothers seeking to express breast milk and/or pump are welcome to use the Working Mother’s Rooms available in the following locations:
- West Boylston Street Second floor RM 220A1 See the staff in HR for the Key
- Federal Street 115D ask for a key at the desk
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Liz Woods, Dean for Compliance and Education Title IX at 508.854.2791 or lwoods@qcc.mass.edu
Get Help Now
If you or someone you know has recently experienced any type of sexual violence, including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment, the first step is to get to a safe place and seek help.
Confidential Resources
If you are not sure if you want to report to the College and/or local law enforcement, confidential resources are available.
The following resources provide a confidential space for students to discuss their options and receive information about campus and community resources. Confidential resources will not report the information you share, even in a court of law. However, before beginning a conversation, you can always ask a confidential resource (even hypothetically speaking) what information they might need to share and under what circumstances.
On Campus Confidential Resources
Counseling Services are available for students who wish to speak with a confidential resource. To schedule an appointment or for more information, please visit Counseling and Wellness.
Off Campus Confidential Resources
Please note the following resources are not affiliated with Quinsigamond Community College, but each are local and may be helpful to you or someone you know:
- YWCA - Provides Free domestic Violence resources for men and women in central Mass
- Pathways for Change - Provides free assistance to persons who have experienced Intimate Partner violence in Central Mass
Hotline: 1.800.870.5905 - Reach - Provides free, community-based services for those experiencing Domestic Violence. 24 hour hotline available.
Hotline: 1.800.899.4000
Email: info@reachma.org - Voice Against Violence - Provides free and confidential services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. 24 hour hotline available.
Hotline: 1.800.593.1125 - Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) - Provides free, confidential support and services to survivors of sexual violence ages 12 and up, and their families and friends. 24 hour hotline available.
Hotline: 1.800.841.8371
Reporting to Law Enforcement
The decision about whether to report to QCC, law enforcement, both, or neither is a personal choice and is up to the victim at their discretion. Any individual who experiences sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and/or sexual harassment) has the right to pursue a criminal complaint with local police. QCC Campus Police can assist with contacting the local police to file a criminal complaint. Individuals can contact Campus Police directly at 508.854.4421 or call 508.854.4444 in an emergency.
Reporting to the College
Reporting information to the College is a personal decision and often a difficult one. An individual who has experienced any form of sexual violence, regardless of where and when it occurs should know that the College is here and can walk you through different resources and options. As you consider the decision whether to report, please be reminded of the following:
- You can choose whether you want to submit a formal complaint in writing. However you do not need to submit a formal complaint in writing as a first step. Rather, you can speak with the College’s Title IX Coordinator to obtain more information on the process.
- Reporting something that happened does not necessarily mean an investigation will occur. If an investigation does begin, you get to decide how much to participate in that investigation.
- You decide whether you will report the incident to the College, law enforcement, confidential resources, all, or none.
- An individual who reports sexual violence will not “get into trouble” or be subject to disciplinary action for being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of the incident, so long as their use was not harmful to others.
- You can report something anonymously. However, it may impact the College’s ability to respond to the information in the report or investigate to the fullest extent possible. Regardless, an anonymous report does inform the College with information about incidents of sexual violence and its occurrence within our community.
- Once the College has received information, we will take all steps and measures necessary to protect you. We recognize that sometimes people do not want to report out of fear of retaliation. Please know that retaliation in any form, towards anyone, is strictly prohibited and has no place within our community.
- You can decide to report at any time. If this is a decision you are struggling with, confidential resources are a great way to explore options and get more information.
Resources
- New Title IX Regulations
- Checklist for Sexual Abuse Survivors
- Sexual Violence - Victim's Rights Advisory | (Spanish)
- Harassment Prevention Notice of Rights
- Map of DV and SA Service Providers
- Frequently Asked Questions After Sexual Assault
- List of Rape Crisis Centers
- List of Domestic Violence Support Programs
- Domestic Violence Programs for Survivors
- Workplace Discrimination
- How to deal with stalking
Purpose of the Rules of Decorum
Title IX hearings are not civil or criminal proceedings, and are not designed to mimic formal trial proceedings. They are primarily educational in nature, and the U.S. Department of Education, writing about Title IX in the Final Rule “purposefully designed these final regulations to allow recipients to retain flexibility to adopt rules of decorum that prohibit any party advisor or decision-maker from questioning witnesses in an abusive, intimidating, or disrespectful manner.” 85 Fed. Reg. 30026, 30319 (May 19, 2020). The Department has determined that institutions “are in a better position than the Department to craft rules of decorum best suited to their educational environment” and build a hearing process that will reassure the parties that the institution “is not throwing a party to the proverbial wolves.” Id.
To achieve this purpose, institutions may provide for reasonable rules of order and decorum, which may be enforced through the removal of an advisor who refuses to comply with the rules. Id., at 30320. As the Department explains, the removal process “incentivizes a party to work with an advisor of choice in a manner that complies with a recipient’s rules that govern the conduct of a hearing, and incentivizes colleges and universities to appoint advisors who also will comply with such rules, so that hearings are conducted with respect for all participants.” Id.
At base, these Rules of Decorum require that all parties, advisors of choice, and institutional staff treat others who are engaged in the process with respect.
The rules and standards apply equally to all Parties and their Advisors regardless of sex, gender, or other protected class, and regardless of whether they are in the role of Complainant or Respondent.
Rules of Decorum
The following Rules of Decorum are to be observed in the hearing and applied equally to all parties (meaning the complainant and respondent) and advisors:
- Questions must be conveyed in a neutral tone.
- Parties and advisors will refer to other parties, witnesses, advisors, and institutional staff using the name and gender used by the person and shall not intentionally mis-name or mis-gender that person in communication or questioning.
- No party may act abusively or disrespectfully during the hearing toward any other party or to witnesses, advisors, or decision-makers.
- While an advisor may be an attorney, no duty of zealous advocacy should be inferred or enforced within this forum.
- The advisor may not yell, scream, badger, or physically ‘‘lean in’’ to a party or witness’s personal space. Advisors may not approach the other party or witnesses without obtaining permission from the chair of the Decision Making Panel.
- The advisor may not use profanity or make irrelevant ad hominem attacks upon a party or witness. Questions are meant to be interrogative statements used to test knowledge or understand a fact; they may not include accusations within the text of the question.
- The advisor may not ask repetitive questions. This includes questions that have already been asked by the members of the Decision Making Panel, the advisor in cross-examination, or the party or advisor in direct testimony. When the chair of the Decision Making Panel determines a question has been “asked and answered” or is otherwise not relevant, the advisor must move on.
- Parties and advisors may take no action at the hearing that a reasonable person in the shoes of the affected party would see as intended to intimidate that person (whether party, witness, or official) into not participating in the process or meaningfully modifying their participation in the process.
Warning and Removal Process
The chair of the Decision Making Panel shall have sole discretion to determine if the Rules of Decorum have been violated. The chair of the Decision Making Panel will notify the offending person of any violation of the Rules.
Upon a second or further violation of the Rules, the chair of the Decision Making Panel shall have discretion to remove the offending person or allow them to continue participating in the hearing or other part of the process.
Where the chair of the Decision Making Panel removes a party’s advisor, the party may select a different advisor of their choice, or accept an advisor provided by the institution for the limited purpose of cross-examination at the hearing. Reasonable delays, including the temporary adjournment of the hearing, may be anticipated should an advisor be removed. A party cannot serve as their own advisor in this circumstance.
The chair of the Decision Making Panel shall document any decision to remove an advisor in the written determination regarding responsibility.
For flagrant, multiple, or continual violations of this Rule, in one or more proceedings, advisors may be prohibited from participating in future proceedings at the institution in the advisor role on a temporary or permanent basis. Evidence of violation(s) of this agreement will be gathered by the Title IX Coordinator, or a designee of either and presented to the Vice President for Enrolment and Student Services for cases involving students or Director of Human Resources for cases involving employees. The Advisor accused may provide an explanation or alternative evidence in writing for consideration by the Vice President for Enrolment and Student Services for cases involving students or Director of Human Resources for cases involving employees. Such evidence or explanation is due within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of a notice of a charge of re-disclosure or improper access to records. There shall be no right to a live hearing, oral testimony, or cross-examination. The Vice President for Enrolment and Student Services for cases involving students or Director of Human Resources for cases involving employees shall consider the evidence under a preponderance of the evidence standard and issue a finding in writing and, if the finding is Responsible, shall include a Sanction. The finding shall be issued in writing to all Parties and Advisors (if there is a current case pending) within thirty (30) days unless extended for good cause. There is no appeal of this finding. Sanctions shall be higher for intentional re-disclosure of records than for negligent re-discourse. In the event that an Advisor is barred permanently or for a term from serving in the role as Advisor in the future, they may request a review of that bar from the Vice President for Enrolment and Student Services for cases involving students or Director of Human Resources for cases involving employees no earlier than three-hundred and sixty-five (365) days after the date of the findings letter.
Relevant Questions Asked in Violation of the Rules of Decorum
Where an advisor asks a relevant question in a manner that violates the Rules, such as yelling, screaming, badgering, or leaning-in to the witness or party’s personal space, the question may not be deemed irrelevant by the decision-maker simply because of the manner it was delivered. Under that circumstance, the decision-maker will notify the advisor of the violation of the Rules, and, if the question is relevant, will allow the question to be re-asked in a respectful, non-abusive manner by the advisor (or a replacement advisor, should the advisor be removed for violation of the Rules). See, 85 Fed. Reg. 30331.