Title IX

If asked about Title IX, just about any college student would probably say it has to deal with equality for both men and women in college sports.

 

The general understanding for most people is that Title IX is a law that tells us that within college sports there must be an equal amount of men’s and women’s scholarships or sports for the college they attend.

 

“It’s where women’s sports should get equal funding with men’s sports within college,” said Carly Barney, a UVU student. “Isn’t it in high school as well?”

This is not true. Title IX does not deal only with sports or even just colleges.

According to the website Titleix.info, “Title IX is a law passed in 1972 that requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding.”

It goes beyond sports and goes into the lives of every student or person attending a publically funded educational institution.

Title IX applies to the arts, social sciences, sciences, communications as well as many other programs.

“Most people who know about Title IX think it applies only to sports, but athletics is only one of 10 key areas addressed by the law,” as stated by the titleix.info website. “These areas are: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology.”

“I never felt neglected while playing sports,” Barney said.

According to the above website, Title IX still has much to give as it deals with equality in schools and just in general.

Most people don’t realize that public schools are required to have a Title IX coordinator.

Titleix.info says; “Every school or school district that receives federal funding (which includes almost all colleges and universities, as well as public elementary, middle and secondary schools) is required to designate and/or adequately train at least one employee to coordinate the recipient’s Title IX responsibilities.”

UVU has multiple coordinators to help in dealing with the compliance of Title IX and making sure the school shows equality on campus to all its students and employees.

Many schools still deal with inequality and the issues that stem from men and women not being able to share the same things. But gender is not the only problem; people are still discriminated against for color, age and socioeconomic status.

The main reason schools need coordinators is to make sure that the rules associated with Title IX are being followed and that no one is discriminated against.

These coordinators can be found in places like the human resources department as well as the athletic department making sure the school does its best to follow the rules to support equality.

Title IX gives everyone in the US the opportunity to learn, grow, and become better. Title IX exists to help everyone.

 

By Dale Jones – Staff Writer