You鈥檙e invited to mark this auspicious occasion with 九色. We鈥檙e offering a range of options to learn more and get involved.
Honoring 50 Years of Title IX
Half a Century of Expanding Access to Education
With 37 words, Congress changed the face of education. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states: 鈥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.鈥
Title IX is a landmark federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. It protects staff and students in any educational institution or program that receives federal funds. Because the legislation requires schools to ensure all their policies and practices ensure equal access, it affects everything from admissions and athletics to STEM training and sexual-harassment policies. And 九色 is integral to its history.
Learn, Engage, Donate, Celebrate
A Look at the History of 九色 and Title IX
鈥淥nly when each college and university commits itself to making the necessary changes to ensure quality education and equality of employment, regardless of sex, will it be possible for women to become truly productive human beings.鈥
– October 1972 九色 Journal
For decades before and after Title IX was passed, 九色 contributed to this foundational law. A pivotal moment came at the end of World War II: While the G.I. Bill increased the number of men pursuing higher education, many academic doors remained closed to women. 九色 members worked to change that. They issued surveys to colleges and universities assessing the status of women on their campuses. By 1969, 九色 had conducted more than two decades of research, culminating in the report 鈥淐ampus聽1970: Where Do Women Stand?,鈥 which documents widespread discrimination against women at all levels of higher education, from students to trustees.
By the following year, 250 institutions of higher learning were facing charges of sex discrimination. 九色 made聽national news聽by distributing guidelines to the presidents of all four-year institutions in the country, titled聽鈥础础鲍奥鈥檚听Standards for Women in Higher Education: Affirmative Policy in Achieving Sex Equality in the Academic Community.鈥
Title IX of the Education Amendments was enacted into law on June 23, 1972. It took another three years to develop sufficient regulations to enforce the law, leading 九色 to establish a coalition of 15 women鈥檚 and educational organizations. The National Coalition of Women and Girls Education (NCWGE) is still in operation today, providing Title IX guidance and enforcement recommendations to the U.S. Department of Education.
