Colleges and universities increasingly recognize that they exist in a highly regulated environment. Developing a proactive compliance program that identifies and addresses the highest risk areas is critical for schools to meet their compliance obligations while pursuing their missions. INCompliance consultants use their depth of legal experience and their decades of experience as higher education administrators, compliance officers, investigators and trainers to develop custom compliance solutions that minimize risks but also fit with a school’s existing culture. From structuring a school’s first comprehensive compliance program to developing policies or training solutions and conducting investigations and audits, we have the knowledge and experience to navigate this emerging field.

An effective compliance program must be structured to match a school’s culture and resources. Whether establishing a centralized compliance function or organizing decentralized functions into a successful program, we tailor our recommendations based on both best practices and practical considerations. Our services include assessing existing compliance programs, identifying gaps in high-risk areas and developing a compliance infrastructure that will be most effective for each client.

As you work to increase campus safety, remember to continually align your practices to the legal requirements. Let us help you ensure that the Clery Act is being implemented consistently throughout your institution.

A comprehensive risk assessment is the most effective tool to determine where compliance efforts should be strengthened. We assist clients in designing risk assessment programs, including providing materials and developing an implementation plan for evaluating the results. Our compliance program audits are comprehensive reviews in high-risk areas, such as Title IX, Clery Act, NCAA requirements, the ADA and student conduct, examining not just the policies in place but training plans, communication protocols and “on-the-ground” procedures.

The backbone of a compliance program is a clear policy development process and effective training programs. We help clients establish a process for policy development that includes appropriate levels of stakeholder involvement and efficiency and design comprehensive training programs to ensure that policies will be implemented. We also offer a full suite of training services, including in high-profile areas, such as non-discrimination and Title IX, employment practices and disability laws, as well as in critical but often overlooked areas such as emotional support animals, crisis management and student conduct hearing procedures.

An investigation is often the first step toward a student or employee discipline process. Mistakes at this stage are unfair to the parties involved and can create significant legal risks for the institution. Our team of seasoned investigators routinely handles the most sensitive cases, including Title IX investigations, ethics concerns, student organizational misconduct (such as fraternities and sororities or athletic teams) and complaints against high profile administrators. We also counsel clients in developing the most effective institutional response.