To: All faculty, staff, and students
From:
Kevin Kregel, executive vice president and provost
Cheryl Reardon, chief human resources officer and associate vice president
Sarah Hansen, vice president for student life
Tiffini Stevenson Earl, ADA coordinator and senior director of the Office of Civil Rights Compliance
Monique DiCarlo, Title IX coordinator and director of the Office of Civil Rights Compliance
Intent: Inform all University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students of the institution's policies on discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and abuse. Please review the information below and bookmark the websites for future reference.
Date: Oct. 8, 2025
The University of Iowa is committed to fostering a welcoming and respectful environment for all who join the UI community through the following policies and statements. Policy notifications such as this are required by federal law.
Human Rights
The university is committed to the principle of equal opportunity, including access to facilities. Differences in treatment are prohibited when based on legally protected classifications: race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, or associational preferences. To review the complete policy, please see Chapter 3 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual.
Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
The UI takes seriously all reports of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking, all of which are forms of sex discrimination.
Federal Title IX and Iowa state law prohibit sex discrimination in university programs and activities, which include all facets of university life, including academic matters; admissions; athletics; career services; counseling and medical services; employment; financial aid; housing and facilities; and events. Another federal law, Title VII, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and other protected classifications in employment.
To submit a report about sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct – including sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking – or related retaliation, please contact the Office of Civil Rights Compliance or any academic or administrative officer of the university, as defined in the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct policy.
To review the complete policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct, please see Chapter 4 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual, which includes the Procedure for Alleged Violations of the Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct at Chapter 4.23.
Violence
Acts and threats of violence are serious violations of university policy. To review the complete policy on Violence, please see Chapter 10 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual.
Physical and Sexual Abuse of Children
In addition to underage students, children are often on campus as participants in a variety of programs and activities or as visitors.
Consistent with Iowa Code §262.9(35), all university employees who, in the course of their employment, receive information related to physical or sexual abuse of children must immediately report the information to the Office of Campus Safety. In the case of incidents not on the Iowa City campus, local police should also be called to avoid any delay in response.
University employees who are mandatory reporters of all forms of child abuse (not only physical or sexual abuse) under state law must also fulfill their statutory obligation to report to the Department of Human Services as provided by Iowa Code §232.67-70.
University employees, students, and visitors who are not mandatory reporters may, and are strongly encouraged to, report all forms of child abuse directly to the Department of Human Services as outlined in Iowa Code §232.67-70.
The complete university policy can be found in Chapter 15 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual.
Consensual Relationships Involving Students
Sexual or romantic relationships between an instructor and a student in an instructional context are prohibited. To review the complete policy, please see Chapter 5 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual.
Anti-Harassment
The purpose of this policy is to prevent harassment within the university community and to provide a process for addressing all forms of harassment. Harassment on the basis of sex will be reviewed under the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct policy. To review the complete Anti-Harassment policy, please see Chapter 14 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual.
Anti-Retaliation
The university encourages its faculty, staff, and students to make good-faith disclosures of university-related misconduct. Retaliation as a response to such disclosure will not be tolerated. To review the complete policy, please see Chapter 11 in the Community Policies section of the UI Policy Manual.
Title IX
Questions regarding Title IX, including its application and concerns about noncompliance, should be directed to Title IX coordinator Monique DiCarlo, 455 Van Allen Hall, 319-335-6200, ocrc-titleIX@uiowa.edu.
For the full text of the federal Title IX statute, visit the U.S. Department of Labor website.
Title VI
Questions regarding Title VI, including its application and concerns about noncompliance, should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 202 Jessup Hall, 5 West Jefferson Street, 319-335-0705, ui-ocrc@uiowa.edu.
For the full text of the federal Title VI statute, visit the U.S. Department of Labor website. Please also see guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. The guidance explains how Title VI applies to discrimination and harassment based on a student's actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.
Hazing
Abuse and other forms of harassment in the form of hazing is prohibited at the University of Iowa for all students, student groups, and university employees.
For more information regarding hazing and hazing prevention, visit the Office of the Dean of Students website. This website details the university's policies, as well as resources for students, staff, faculty, and members of our community.
