Institutional Access and Compliance Office and Title IX and Non-Discrimination
Shanna Milonas, MBA
Vice President of Academic Compliance
Title IX and 504 Coordinator
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
602-639-5900
TitleIX@gcu.edu
Kelsey Nelson, MBA
Director of Institutional Access and Compliance Office
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
602-639-5900
TitleIX@gcu.edu
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
Grand Canyon University, while reserving its lawful rights where appropriate to take actions designed to ensure and promote the Christian principles that sustain its mission and heritage, prohibits unlawful discrimination, including any form of harassment and/or retaliation, on the basis of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable law, in its employment, admissions policies, educational programs or activities. It is the purpose of the university to pursue the highest of academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. This policy also complies with the Title IX requirements related to non-discrimination.
The Basics of 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.
"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."
"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."
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.
Grand Canyon University adheres to all federal, state and local civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and education. As a recipient of federal financial assistance for education activities, GCU is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to ensure that all of its education programs and activities do not discriminate on the basis of sex. GCU also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internal or external to the institution. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence and stalking are forms of sex discrimination, which are prohibited under Title IX and by university policy. Harassment or discrimination on the basis of any other classification protected by law is prohibited under university policy. Any member of the campus community, guest or visitor who acts to deny, deprive or limit the educational, employment, residential or social access, opportunities and/or benefits of any member of the GCU community on the basis of sex or other protected class status, is in violation of the Title IX and Non-Discrimination Policy.
Any person may report sex discrimination, age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable law, in person, by mail, by telephone, by video or by email, using the contact information listed for the Title IX Coordinator (below).
Any participants, beneficiaries, applicants or employees, including students, staff, faculty and visitors who believes they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability may file a grievance. The university has mechanisms in place to resolve concerns about disability discrimination, denial of access to services, accommodations required by law, or an auxiliary aid they believe they should have received.
Discriminatory harassment, based on a protected class, creates a hostile environment when the behavior is sufficiently serious to deny or limit one’s ability to participate in or benefit from the recipient’s education programs and activities. Racial and national origin is a specific form of discriminatory harassment which can take many forms, including slurs, taunts, stereotypes or name-calling, as well as racially motivated physical threats, attacks or other hateful conduct.
Beyond Title IX, the college also prohibits discrimination and harassment based on age, race, color, national origin, religion, veteran status and other classifications protected by law. We are dedicated to maintaining a campus environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
If you have experienced or witnessed any form of prohibited discrimination or harassment, we encourage you to report it. Visit our Reporting Page for information on how to file a report, what to expect during the process and available support resources.
Complainant: An individual who is alleged to be the victim of conduct (a violation of the Title IX and Non-Discrimination Policy) that could constitute harassment or discrimination based on a protected class, or retaliation for engaging in a protected activity.
Respondent: The person whose actions are alleged to have violated the Title IX and Non-Discrimination Policy.
Unwelcome conduct, determined by a reasonable person, to be so severe, and pervasive, and, objectively offensive, that it effectively denies a person equal access to the university’s education program or activity. Unwelcomeness is subjective and determined by the Complainant (except when the Complainant is below the age of consent). Severity, pervasiveness and objective offensiveness are evaluated based on the totality of the circumstances from the perspective of a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances.
An employee of the university conditions the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the university on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct.
Dating Violence, defined as: Violence, on the basis of sex, committed by a person, who is in or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the Complainant.
For the purposes of this definition, 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, defined as: Violence, on the basis of sex, committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the Complainant, by a person with whom the Complainant shares a child in common, or by a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the Complainant as a spouse or intimate partner, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the Complainant under the domestic or family violence laws of Arizona, or by any other person against an adult or youth Complainant who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of Arizona. To categorize an incident as Domestic Violence, the relationship between the Respondent and the Complainant 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.
Engaging in a course of conduct, on the basis of sex, directed at a specific person, that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety, or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress.
For the purposes of this definition, course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts in which the Respondent directly, indirectly or through third parties, by any action, method, device or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens or communicates to or about a person, or interferes with a person’s property. Reasonable person means a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the Complainant. Substantial emotional distress means significant mental suffering or anguish that may but does not necessarily require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.
At Grand Canyon University, 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 policy 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.