"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 education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance..." -- 20 U.S.C. § 1681
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681) is an all-encompassing federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Although Title IX is often associated with equal opportunity in athletics programs, the law is much broader and includes discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
SUNY Old Westbury will promptly respond to all complaints of sexual discrimination, harassment and violence. The purpose of Title IX is to prevent sex discrimination on campus, address reported assaults and incidents, limit the effects of harassment on the educational environment, and prevent its recurrence.
Title IX Notice
Do you believe you have been a victim of sexual misconduct? Whether or not you reported the incident to the college, we’d like your opinion on how we can improve the effectiveness of our campus policies and procedures that address sexual misconduct. Share your suggestions and/or feedback!
Stephanie Benzaquen, CRC (She, Her, Hers)
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Phone: 516-876-2740
Email: iaccarinos@oldwestbury.edu
What Is Title IX?
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681) is an all-encompassing federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Although Title IX is often associated with equal opportunity in athletics programs, the law is much broader and includes discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
"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 education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance..." 20 U.S.C. § 1681
Title IX Coordinator
Who is the Title IX Coordinator for SUNY Old Westbury?
Stephanie Benzaquen currently serves as the College's Deputy Title IX Coordinator. Her office is located in Campus Center, Suite H-418 and is part of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The office can be reached by phone at 516-876-2740 or via email to iaccarinos@oldwestbury.edu.
What is the role of the Title IX Coordinator?
To oversee the processes that address reported concerns or claims of sex or gender based discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking. This includes working closely with Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Human Resources and other offices to provide educational programming for the campus community that raises awareness and encourages reporting.
We encourage any member of the campus community to report, confidentially discuss, or raise questions and concerns regarding any instance of sexual assault, stalking or interpersonal violence. We also encourage anyone who is undecided about proceeding with criminal or campus charges as well as those who may not label a given experience as rape, sexual assault, stalking or intimate partner violence to speak with the Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator will help to identify the appropriate responses or resolutions that may be available through both policy and law, coordinate timely investigation and communication, and assist in obtaining any appropriate intermediate measures and/or internal and external support services.
-LINKS:
Applicable policies & procedures
- Statement of Charge - Complaint Form (PDF)
- Sexual Crimes Information
- Sexual Violence Victim/Survivor Bill of Rights
- Options for Confidentially Disclosing Sexual Violence
- Campus Sexual Violence Response Policy
- SUNY Sexual Harassment Response and Prevention Policy Statement
- Equal Opportunity: Access, Employment and Fair Treatment in the State University of New York
- Student Code of Conduct
campus climate survey
SUNY Old Westbury conducted the SUNY Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Campus Climate Survey from between February 15, 2021 and March 29, 2021. Surveys were administered by a third-party vendor via email to all enrolled students, faculty and staff. By SUNY policy, this uniform survey ascertains faculty and staff awareness of policies and resources, and student experience with and knowledge of reporting and college adjudicatory processes for sexual harassment, including sexual violence and other related crimes. Individual responses were kept strictly confidential.
The response rate for employees was approximately 33.9 percent (226 employee respondents). Results indicated that faculty and staff are generally aware of the policies and resources, the difference between confidentiality and privacy, the definition of affirmative consent, the difference between the college disciplinary process and the criminal justice system, the roles of the Title IX Coordinator and where to locate the office, and the availability of sexual and interpersonal violence resources.
The response rate for students was 17.2% (756 student respondents). Results indicated that students are generally aware of the policies and resources, understand the definition of affirmative consent, and the difference between the college disciplinary process and the criminal justice system. Students also report being aware of on-campus and community resources and express agreement that they need to file a formal complaint to campus officials the complaint would be taken seriously, the investigation conducted fairly, and support would be provided during the process.
More outreach, training, and follow-up will continue to take place with students and employees on an annual basis, and all survey results will be distributed to the members of the Advisory Committee for Campus Safety for review and feedback.