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Title IX signed into law
Title IX is a section of the Education Amendments of 1972 that says people can not be discriminated against on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity. Although the law impacted other aspects of women's educational experience, it was not applied to cases of sexual assault until the Dear Colleague letter in 2011. -
Clery Act signed into law
The Clery Act was named for Jeanne Clery, a student who was raped and murdered in her dorm room at Lehigh University in 1986. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, otherwise known as the Clery Act, requires all colleges and universities who receive federal financial aid to disclose their crime statistics in a yearly publication. -
Clery Act amended
The Clery Act was amended in July of 1992 to include The Campus Sexual Assault Victim's Bill of Rights. This required campuses to allow survivors to have certain rights. It changed the reporting process for cases of sexual assault by allowing victims to have the same rights as their attackers. -
The Violence Agaisnt Women Act signed into law
The Violence Against Women Act dedicated about $1.6 billion to investigating violent crimes carried out against women like sexual assault. It also took measures to protect victims and created the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice. It was reauthorized in 2004 and 2013. -
Dear Colleague Letter
The Dear Colleague Letter of April 2011 was a letter from the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights that said "The sexual harassment of students, including sexual violence, interferes with students’ right to receive an education free from discrimination and, in the case of sexual violence, is a crime." This allowed students to file Title IX complaints when their cases were not handled properly by their college or university. -
Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act becomes law
As part of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act further clarifies requirements of Title IX and the Clery Act. It outlines the rights of victims to report the crime to police and the guarantee of a fair and quick disciplinary process. It also expanded the definition of sexual violence to include dating violence and stalking, along with sexual assault. -
List of non-compliant colleges released
The Obama administration released a list of 55 colleges and universities that are under investigation for not complying with the standards set out by Title IX and the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter. While UW-Madison is not on the list, other Big 10 schools including Indiana University, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Ohio State University and Penn State University made the list. -
Campus Accountability and Safety Act proposed
The Campus Accountability and Safety Act was proposed in the U.S. Senate with the goal of holding universities more accountable and to require policies that are more effective in protecting victims. The bill had bipartisan support when it was introduced and was sponsored by Claire McCaskill (D-Mo). -
Survivor Outreach and Support Campus Act proposed
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) and Representative Susan Davis (D-San Diego) proposed the Survivor Outreach and Support Campus Act. This legislation would require colleges and universities to provide an independent, on-campus advocate for victims of sexual assault. -
Campus SaVE Act deadline for compliance
October 1 was the deadline for colleges and universities to comply with the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act.