Title IX - Student Protections Against Sexual Misconduct & Gender Discrimination

Per statute, the Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee is charged with submitting an annual report to the Colorado House and Senate Education Committees as well as to Colorado institutions of higher education. See the January 12, 2024 report here and a complete list of their reports lower on this page.

Visit this page to see individual college and university policies and training on sexual misconduct prevention in Colorado.

Enacted in 1972, Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational settings. The Colorado Department of Higher Education is committed to supporting institutions as they work to provide safe learning environments free of gender-based discrimination, violence and harassment.

Each institution's Title IX office addresses the following forms of discrimination:

• Gender-based discrimination
• Discrimination against pregnant and parenting students
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual violence (including rape or sexual assault, stalking, voyeurism, exhibitionism, verbal or physical sexuality-based threats or abuse, and intimate partner violence)

In 2019, the Colorado General Assembly passed Senate Bill 19-007, which among several provisions, created the Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee. Members of the committee are appointed by the executive director of the Department of Higher Education. Senate Bill 23-085 continued the committee indefinitely.

The advisory committee was created quickly and began meeting in January 2020. Their primary charge was to make recommendations to the General Assembly and institutions of higher education on the updated U.S. Department of Education Title IX rules which were subsequently released on May 6, 2020 (and comprised of over 2,000 pages). The committee had to work quickly as the senate bill required they submit a report to the Education Committees of the Colorado Senate and House 90 days after the final Title IX rules were adopted. The report was delivered on August 4, 2020 and was forwarded to many different functional groups at institutions of higher education within the state. The report provides recommendations to satisfy the updated Title IX rules and includes policies and methods to reduce sexual misconduct at institutions.

The committee is also charged with submitting an updated report to the Education Committees of the Colorado Senate and House on January 15 each year. All submitted reports are listed below:

First Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee Report

2021 Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee Report

2022 Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee Report

2023 Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee Report

2024 Sexual Misconduct Advisory Committee Report

The list of the exemplary committee members is included on the reports. The members have experience that aligns with one or more of the following roles:

• A representative from an institution of higher education
• A Title IX coordinator from an institution of higher education
• A representative from an organization that advocates on behalf of or provides services to victims of sexual misconduct
• An attorney who has experience representing victims of sexual misconduct on college campuses
• An attorney who has experience representing persons accused of sexual misconduct at institutions of higher education
• A person who has experience providing trauma-informed care.

As also created by Senate Bill 19-007, a committee of representatives from across the state were selected to plan, convene, and report on a summit aimed to promote awareness, train, and assist in preventing sexual misconduct on Colorado campuses. The list of members is included below. The first summit was held remotely over two days in July 2021.

Sexual Misconduct Summit Planning Committee Members

In mid-August 2020, the US Department of Education launched a new web page which provides resources for students and institutions of higher education regarding Title IX rules and any changes.