Title IX

GCU's Commitment to Title IX

At Grand Canyon University (GCU), we are committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from gender or sexual discrimination so members of the GCU community can fully access and benefit from the university's programs and activities. Learn more about the sexual misconduct policies at GCU.

GCU is also committed to upholding Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding; nearly all colleges and universities benefit from federal funding.

View Title IX Resource Guide

For Title IX concerns, contact:

Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators

Shanna Milonas, MBA
Assistant Vice President of Academic Compliance
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
602-639-5900
titleix@gcu.edu

Deputy Title IX Coordinator

Kelsey Nelson, MBA
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
602-639-5900
titleix@gcu.edu

Assistant Deputy Title IX Coordinators

For students:

Tim Griffin
Dean of Students
602-639-6647
tim.griffin@gcu.edu

For athletics:

Jamie Boggs
Director of Athletics
602-639-6611
jamie.boggs@gcu.edu

U.S. Department of Education

Office for Civil Rights
Building 400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20202
Phone: 800-421-3481
Fax: 202-453-6012
TDD: 800-877-8339
ocr@ed.gov

What Is Title IX?

Title IX is a federal mandate that protects students attending educational institutions from sex discrimination. The law says that students cannot be denied participation in any school program solely based on their sex. Take a look at frequently asked questions about Title IX to learn more about this policy.

View Title IX FAQs

Statement of Non-Discrimination

Grand Canyon University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any legally protected status. Title IX regulations require non-discrimination on the basis of sex or gender, which includes unlawful discrimination based on pregnancy and/or disability discrimination based upon complications related to pregnancy. As a religious institution, Grand Canyon University expressly reserves its rights, its understandings of, and its commitments to Christian principles, and reserves the legal right to hire and employ individuals who support the values of the University.

The Law

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 educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

-Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

The Basics of Title IX

Title IX is a federal civil right that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
It does not apply to female students or athletic programs only. It prohibits sex or gender discrimination in all educational activities or programs.
A school must be proactive in ensuring that its campus is free from sexual-based discrimination, harassment or violence.
Title IX protects students from facing retaliation, from any source, as a result of involvement with Title IX.
Title IX applies to institutions that receive federal financial assistance from ED, including state and local educational agencies.
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces institutions' compliance with Title IX standards.

Definitions

Reporting Party

The person who is alleging a violation of the Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy.

Responding Party

The person whose actions are alleged to have violated the Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct Policy.

Sexual Harassment

Any unwelcome, gender or sex-based verbal or physical conduct that is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates a hostile environment.
It interferes with or limits someone's ability to participate in any GCU program and/or activity.
Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when there are unwelcome sexual advances and rejection/refusal results in a negative educational or employment action.

Non-Consensual Sexual Contact (or Attempts to Commit)

Non-consensual sexual contact is any intentional sexual touching, however slight, with any object, by one person upon another, that is without consent and/or by force.

Sexual contact includes:

Intentional contact with the breasts, buttocks, groin or genitals, or touching another with any of these body parts, or making another touch you or themselves with or on any of these body parts.
Any intentional bodily contact in a sexual manner, though not involving contact with/of/by breasts, buttocks, groin, genitals, mouth or other orifice.

Non-Consensual Sexual Intercourse (or Attempts to Commit)

Non-consensual sexual intercourse is any sexual intercourse, however slight, with any object, by one person upon another, that is without consent and/or by force.

Intercourse includes:

Vaginal penetration by a penis, object, tongue or finger; anal penetration by a penis, object, tongue or finger; and oral copulation, no matter how slight the penetration or contact.
Non-consensual sexual intercourse includes sexual assault, defined by ASRS 13-1406, as intentionally or knowingly engaging in sexual intercourse or oral sexual contact with any person without consent of such person.

Sexual Exploitation

Sexual exploitation occurs when someone takes non-consensual or abusive sexual advantage of another for their own benefit, or for the benefit of anyone other than the one being exploited, and the behavior does not otherwise constitute sexual misconduct.

Examples of sexual exploitation include, but are not limited to:

Invasion of sexual privacy
Prostituting another student
Non-consensual videotaping or audiotaping of a sexual activity
Non-consensual voyeurism of otherwise consensual sexual activity
Engaging in voyeurism
Knowingly transmitting an STI, STD or HIV
Exposing one's genitals or breasts in non-consensual circumstances; inducing another to expose their genitals or breasts
Sexually based stalking and/or bullying

Other Misconduct Offenses When Based on Sex or Gender

Domestic and Dating Violence: Any assault, violence or abuse between those in an intimate relationship to each other.
Stalking: A course of conduct that is intentionally and knowingly directed towards another person, if that conduct would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person's safety or the death of that person or their immediate family.
Bullying: A repeated and/or severe aggressive behavior that is likely to intimidate or intentionally hurt, control or diminish another person.

Information about Sexual Discrimination, Harassment and Violence

Sex Discrimination

Sex discrimination is a form of harassment that involves treating someone unfavorably because of that person's sex. Sex discrimination also can involve treating someone less favorably because of their connection with an organization or group that is generally associated with people of a certain sex, or because of the person's non-conformance with sex stereotypes.

Sexual Harassment

67 percent of students reported experiencing harassment on campus.
61 percent witnessed another student being harassed on campus.
Only 17 percent of students said that they reported harassment to a person of authority.
46 percent of students indicated that harassment was the source of disappointment with their college experience.
20 percent reported that harassment limited their ability to concentrate in class.
23 percent said that harassment prevented them from attending class or other social activities on campus.

Sexual Violence

It is estimated that the percentage of completed or attempted rape victimization among women in higher educational institutions may be between 20 percent and 25 percent over the course of a college career.
Nine out of 10 victims of rape and sexual assault in college know their offender.
Off-campus sexual victimization is much more common among college women than on-campus victimization. Of victims of completed rape, 33.7 percent were victimized on campus and 66.3 percent off campus.
Freshmen and sophomores are at greater risk for victimization than juniors and seniors.