What is the Civil Rights Review?

The Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex, and Handicap in Vocational Education Programs (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B), require each state agency responsible for the administration of career and technical education programs to conduct compliance reviews of sub-recipients that offer career and technical education programs and that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.  The purpose of the on-site review is to determine the college’s compliance with the Guidelines and the following federal laws and regulations:

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 100, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin;
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex;
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 104, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability; and
  • Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and its implementing regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 35, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.

Civil rights reviews allow ICCB and participating colleges that receive federal funding through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout Illinois.  The tools on this website are designed to provide technical assistance to colleges who seek to familiarize themselves with federal requirements and best practices for promoting equality within their college and community.

History

The United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR), mandates civil rights reviews for entities that receive federal funding through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. The ICCB is responsible for reviewing community colleges, on an annual basis, to determine compliance with the following standards and guidelines:

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting race, color, and national origin discrimination)
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (prohibiting sex discrimination)
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (prohibiting disability discrimination)
  • Title 11 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (prohibiting disability discrimination by public entities, including public schools, public colleges and universities, public vocational schools, and public libraries) whether or not they receive Federal financial assistance.
  • Vocational Education Program Guidelines

To determine which colleges will receive an on-site review, the ICCB utilizes the following selection criteria, which have been approved by the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights:

  1. enrollments by gender;
  2. enrollments by disability;
  3. enrollments by race; and
  4. prior review.

No community college will be reviewed more than once every five years.

Why It Matters

The vitality and effectiveness of our nation’s civil rights laws depend upon the commitment and strength of the agencies charged with their enforcement. The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the operations of a community college.  As a primary recipient of federal financial assistance ICCB is responsible for civil rights administration and compliance.  Civil Rights Reviews, conducted by the ICCB are intended as part of a proactive effort to determine how well college operations are being completed on an equal opportunity basis by recipients in compliance with Federal civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.

Our Purpose

ICCB is mandated by the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to conduct annual reviews of a specified number of community colleges receiving federal Perkins funding.  ICCB has the following requirements:

  • Monitor sub-recipients for civil rights compliance
  • Collect and analyze civil rights info and data
  • Conduct periodic compliance reviews
  • Provide technical assistance
  • Report activities and findings to OCR.

Civil Rights reviews are conducted by a team of ICCB staff and are designed to assist colleges in familiarizing themselves with federal requirements and meeting the requirements of the civil rights legislation.