Respond
Individuals who may have experienced or observed discrimination or harassment may consult with the Director of Nondiscrimination and Title IX to discuss their concern or initiate a report. Individuals can also feel free to report to a designated individual in accordance with the information below:
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For Complaints against … |
Complaints brought to… |
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Students |
Dr. Elizabeth Scott-Francis Nondiscrimination and Title IX Office |
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Barnard College Faculty |
Saskia Hamilton
Vice Provost for Academic Programs Milbank Hall 110 212-854-7517 shamilto@barnard.edu |
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Employees |
Katie Germana |
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Third Parties, including Affiliates and Vendors |
Human Resources representative or other appropriate campus contact (listed above) |
Students wishing to discuss their concerns in a confidential space are encouraged may visit our page for a list of on-campus confidential resources.
Information for reporting an incident to the College and law enforcement.
Government Resources for External Reporting
This page provides additional resources for anyone wishing to file a complaint of gender-based misconduct outside of Barnard College.
Nondiscrimination and Harassment Resolution Process
The procedures described below apply to all allegations of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation on the basis of protected class status involving students, staff, faculty members, or third parties. Unionized or other categorized employees may also be subject to the terms of their respective collective bargaining agreements/employees’ rights. These procedures may also be used to address or resolve collateral misconduct arising from the investigation of or occurring in conjunction with harassing, discriminatory, or retaliatory conduct (e.g., vandalism, physical abuse of another). All other allegations of misconduct unrelated to incidents covered by this Policy will be addressed through the procedures elaborated in the respective student, faculty, and staff handbooks. Individuals who believe they have experienced or observed discrimination or harassment may consult with the Director of Nondiscrimination and Title IX to discuss their concern or initiate a report. These procedures also apply to discrimination in employment on the basis of alienage or citizenship status, marital partnership status, military status, arrest or conviction record, predisposing genetic characteristics, caregiver status, or victim status for the following offenses: domestic violence, stalking, and/or sex offense, in its employment practices. The Policy on Workplace Violence and Threatening Behavior may also be applicable. The College takes seriously complaints of discrimination and harassment and takes prompt, effective action, including disciplinary action, upon a finding of a Policy violation.
Please click this link for a PDF copy of the Nondiscrimination & Harassment Resolution Process
On May 30, 2020, Barnard College informed its community that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights had issued a Final Rule under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Final Rule defines the meaning of “sexual harassment” (including forms of sex-based violence), describes how schools must respond to reports of misconduct falling within the new definition of sexual harassment, and sets forth a grievance process that schools must follow in these specific covered cases before issuing a disciplinary sanction against a person accused of sexual harassment.
On August 14, despite the repeated objections of many of those institutions — including Barnard — and tens of thousands of individuals, the Final Rule took effect.
Put most simply, these regulations mandate a more formal process, including a live hearing and the right to cross-examination, to address a narrowly-defined set of cases. Barnard’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment and Nondiscrimination & Harassment Resolution Process remain in full force and effect. Complaints that include allegations of both Gender-Based Misconduct and misconduct under the Title IX procedure will be investigated and adjudicated under the Formal Title IX Grievance Process.
The regulations permit institutions to impose a higher standard of evidence for investigations and determinations. However, Barnard has chosen to maintain the “preponderance of the evidence” standard as applicable to all behavior covered by the Policy Against Discrimination & Harassment, including Gender-Based Misconduct, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking.
Barnard remains committed to providing an environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Students, faculty, or staff members who have questions about these changes, or wish to learn more about what is involved in filing or pursuing a Title IX complaint, should contact Dr. Elizabeth Scott-Francis, Barnard’s Director of Nondiscrimination and Title IX. Dr. Scott-Francis can be reached by email at nondiscrimination@barnard.edu.
The Nondiscrimination and Title IX Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
Responsible Community Action Policy
This page provides an overview of Barnard's Responsible Community Action Policy.
Please click this link for a PDF copy of the Responsible Community Action Policy
CU Gender-Based Misconduct Policy for Students
Reports of gender-based misconduct where the Respondent is a matriculated Columbia University students are processed utilizing Columbia University procedures. Additional Columbia University information can be found on the Columbia University Sexual Respect website at http://sexualrespect.columbia.edu/.
For procedure related to other College Policies and behavior that does not fall under the Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment, students should refer to the Code of Conduct, employees can refer to Human Resources or online.