Federal Compliance

Title IX & Nondiscrimination

Understanding your rights and ACU's commitment to a safe, equitable campus

What Is Title IX?

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities.

What Is Sex Discrimination?

Sex discrimination can take on many forms, including:

  • Unequal treatment in educational programs or employment on the basis of sex
  • Sexual harassment, such as unwelcome sexual advances, stalking, or harassment on social media
  • Sexual violence, such as sexual assault, dating violence, or domestic violence

Who Needs to Comply?

Faculty, Staff & Administrators
Students
Third-Party Providers
All Community Members

What to Expect

When a report of an alleged Title IX violation is submitted, the Title IX Coordinator will initiate the Title IX/Sexual Misconduct investigation process. All parties involved will be expected to participate in the investigation.

The Title IX/Sexual Misconduct process is separate from the criminal system. Victims of certain Title IX violations are encouraged to file a report with the Glendale Police Department or local law enforcement where the alleged incident occurred. The decision to file a report or pursue criminal action is entirely up to the victim.

The Title IX/Sexual Misconduct process is designed to provide all parties with a decision upon completion of a fair and thorough investigation. For complete information, please consult the Student Handbook.

Key Definitions

ACU uses the definitions of Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking provided under the Clery Act and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Sexual Harassment

The Final Rule defines sexual harassment broadly to include any of three types of misconduct on the basis of sex:

  • Any instance of quid pro quo harassment by a school's employee
  • Any unwelcome conduct that a reasonable person would find so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it denies a person equal educational access
  • Any instance of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking as defined in VAWA

Sexual Assault (Sex Offenses)

Any sexual act directed against another person, without consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent. The four types are:

  • Rape — Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without consent
  • Fondling — Touching of private body parts for sexual gratification, without consent
  • Incest — Sexual intercourse between persons related within degrees where marriage is prohibited by law
  • Statutory Rape — Sexual intercourse with a person under the statutory age of consent

Dating Violence

Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship is determined based on the reporting party's statement and with consideration of the length, type, and frequency of interaction.

Dating violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence.

Domestic Violence

A felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed by:

  • A current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim
  • A person with whom the victim shares a child in common
  • A person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner
  • A person similarly situated to a spouse under domestic or family violence laws
  • Any other person against a victim protected under domestic or family violence laws
The relationship must be more than just two people living together as roommates. The people cohabitating must be current or former spouses or have an intimate relationship.

Stalking

Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person's safety or suffer substantial emotional distress.

  • Course of conduct — Two or more acts including following, monitoring, observing, surveilling, threatening, or communicating to or about a person
  • Reasonable person — A reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim
  • Substantial emotional distress — Significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require professional treatment

Nondiscrimination Policy

Arizona Christian University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, mental and/or physical disability (including pregnancy), marital status, status as a covered veteran, or age in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid programs, athletics, and other university-administered programs.

As a Christian institution, Arizona Christian University retains the right to make employment, admission, educational, and program decisions based on an individual's religious beliefs and conduct consistent with the ACU Statement of Faith, Core Commitments, and other university policies.

How to Report

All members of the University community are strongly encouraged to report sex discrimination.

Non-Confidential Report

Submit a report to the University's Title IX Coordinator.

[email protected]

All faculty, staff, and student employees with supervisory authority who receive complaints are obligated to report to their supervisor or department head and/or the Title IX Coordinator.

Confidential Report

Speak with someone in confidence about an incident of sex discrimination:

Counseling Services
Campus Pastor Travis Turner

These professionals have privilege to withhold information, to the extent consistent with law, only when acting in the scope of their license or professional capacity.

Corey Quinn

Title IX Coordinator

1 W Firestorm Way, Glendale, AZ 85306

(602) 489-5304 · [email protected]

Your Safety Matters

If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or violence, you don't have to face it alone.

Contact Title IX Coordinator