If you are looking for a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Title IX lawyer after receiving notice of a sex-discrimination, sexual-misconduct, or Title IX-related allegation, start with the notice you were given. This page gives general educational information for students and families, not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for reading that notice.
Start With the Notice You Received
The written notice from Cal Poly’s Civil Rights and Compliance Office (CRCO) should identify the allegation and applicable procedure. If the track is not clear, ask CRCO for written confirmation. Before doing anything else:
- Save the notice itself, including the date it was sent and the date you received it.
- Preserve any related emails, texts, or messages tied to the allegation.
- Note every deadline stated in the notice, in the exact words used.
- Keep a written timeline of relevant events and interactions.
Do not ignore the notice or wait to respond to any deadline listed in it. Missing a stated deadline can limit your options later.
Which Policy and Procedure Apply to Your Case
CSU updated its student-respondent procedure effective March 4, 2025, and this procedure applies to complaints filed on or after that date. It is not retroactive to earlier complaints. Separately, the CSU nondiscrimination policy’s definitions apply to alleged conduct occurring on or after August 1, 2024.
These are two different triggers, one tied to when the complaint was filed and one tied to when the alleged conduct occurred. Both can matter to your case, and they are not interchangeable.
There is also an unresolved inconsistency worth knowing about: the CSU policy index page and Cal Poly’s CRCO Title IX page still link to older PolicyStat document IDs, while the student procedure currently published in PolicyStat is ID 17650729. The public PolicyStat record for that ID is marked "ACTIVE" but also carries expiration metadata from an earlier date. This inconsistency had not been resolved as of September 25, 2026, and this page does not resolve it for you. Confirm directly with CRCO, or with an advisor familiar with your specific notice, which policy and procedure version actually governs your case.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo follows a systemwide California State University process that uses the CSU nondiscrimination policy with its Track 1 attachment, the student respondent procedures with their hearing and appeal addenda, and the CSU Student Conduct Process. Which track and which version apply to a case depends on the written notice and on the dates involved. For the full explanation of how these documents fit together, read the California State University systemwide Title IX process.
Report Versus Formal Complaint
Cal Poly’s CRCO resolution-process page describes both reporting and resolution paths, including formal and informal routes. Reporting concerns to CRCO is not automatically the same as a formal complaint proceeding through investigation and, where applicable, a hearing. The Title IX Coordinator first assesses whether the case falls under Track 1.
Track 1 Versus Track 2 and Other Tracks
If a complaint involves alleged Sexual Harassment that meets the federal criteria described in the nondiscrimination policy’s Track 1 attachment, Track 1 applies and replaces the ordinary student-procedure tracks. If Track 1 does not apply, the student procedure governs covered student complaints under its other tracks.
Track 2 is the hearing-based route used for specified categories: Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Sexual Exploitation, and Stalking complaints that meet the applicable criteria. Some other complaints instead proceed through a non-hearing route. Not every sex-based complaint results in a hearing, and not every track uses the same rules for advisor questioning. Track 2 and Track 1 also do not share deadlines; the deadlines described below for the student procedure do not apply to a Track 1 case, which has its own decision-letter and appeal rules.
Confirm from your own notice which track applies to you.
Early Steps After Notice
Once you are notified, consider these general steps:
- Read the notice fully and identify the named track, if stated.
- Identify whether any interim or supportive measures have been put in place.
- Consider whether you want to arrange an advisor early in the process.
- Begin organizing evidence and a list of possible witnesses.
Investigation and Evidence Review
For non-Track-1 investigations under the student procedure, both parties receive a preliminary investigation report. Each party then has ten Working Days from the date the preliminary report is sent to review that evidence and submit a response. "Working Days" under the active nondiscrimination policy means Monday through Friday, excluding official holidays and closures at the originating campus, or at the CSU Chancellor’s Office when an appeal is under review. This is not the same as ten calendar days, and holidays or campus closures can extend the actual calendar window.
Use this review period to check the report for accuracy, identify any missing evidence, and prepare a written response.
Advisor and Hearing
You may have an advisor assist you during the process. The specific role an advisor may play, including any questioning role, depends on which track applies to your case, so do not assume the same rules apply across all tracks.
For Track 2 hearing cases, the hearing addendum requires written hearing notice at least 20 Working Days before the hearing date. This 20-Working-Day figure is a minimum lead time for notice of the hearing itself. It is not a deadline for submitting your response to the investigation report, which is governed separately by the ten-Working-Day evidence review period described above.
Supportive Measures
Supportive measures may be available during the process regardless of the eventual outcome. CRCO’s resolution-process page describes support options separately from formal complaint resolution. Confidential support resources are distinct from reporting to CRCO. Ask a provider about its confidentiality and reporting limits before sharing details.
Appeals
Under the non-Track-1 student procedure’s appeal addendum, either party may appeal an outcome involving Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, or Stalking. For an outcome involving only Discrimination, Harassment, Prohibited Consensual Relationships, or Retaliation, only the non-prevailing party may appeal. For an eligible outcome appeal:
- For non-hearing cases, a party has ten Working Days after the date of the Notice of Investigation Outcome to file a written appeal with the CSU Chancellor’s Office Civil Rights Appeals Unit.
- For hearing cases, a party has ten Working Days after the date of the Final Decision to file that same written appeal.
- The nonappealing party and the campus then have ten Working Days after the date of the appeal notice to respond.
A dismissal appeal is separate. Under the student procedure, it must be submitted within ten Working Days from the date of the dismissal notice. The other party may submit a written response within five Working Days after the dismissal-appeal notice. Do not apply the outcome-appeal response period to a dismissal appeal.
Track 1 cases follow their own decision-letter and dismissal-appeal timelines under the Track 1 attachment, which are not addressed here and should not be assumed to match the deadlines above.
Do not calculate your own case-specific appeal deadline from this page. Confirm the exact trigger date and applicable track from your own notice or decision letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the student procedure apply to my case?
The March 4, 2025 student procedure says it applies to complaints filed on or after that date, but Track 1 replaces it when the Title IX Coordinator determines Track 1 applies. An earlier complaint may use a different procedure version. Confirm your case’s version and track with CRCO.
Will my case include a hearing?
Only if it falls under Track 2 or another hearing-eligible category. Some complaints proceed through a non-hearing route instead. Check your notice.
How long do I have to respond to the investigation report?
Ten Working Days from the date the preliminary investigation report is sent, for non-Track-1 cases under the student procedure.
How much notice will I get before a hearing?
At least 20 Working Days before the hearing date, for Track 2 cases. This is separate from the ten-Working-Day evidence review deadline.
How long do I have to appeal?
Under the non-Track-1 student procedure, an eligible outcome appeal must be filed within ten Working Days after the date of the Notice of Investigation Outcome (non-hearing cases) or Final Decision (hearing cases). A dismissal appeal has its own ten-Working-Day filing period from the date of the dismissal notice. Check your eligibility, track and document before counting.
Who do I contact at Cal Poly about a Title IX matter?
The Civil Rights and Compliance Office can be reached at crco@calpoly.edu or (805) 756-6770.
Disclaimer
This page is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo or the California State University system. The current public sources were checked, but CSU’s index link and PolicyStat metadata conflict. Confirm the operative policy version, track and written notice directly with Cal Poly’s Civil Rights and Compliance Office. For questions about this page, contact us.
Sources
- Cal Poly Civil Rights and Compliance Office – Title IX
- Cal Poly CRCO – Reporting, Complaint, and Resolution Processes
- CSU Title IX Policy Index
- CSU Student Procedure for Complaints of Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation, Sexual Misconduct, Dating and Domestic Violence, and Stalking (PolicyStat ID 17650729)
- CSU Nondiscrimination Policy
- Track 1 Attachment
- Track 2 Hearing Addendum
- Appeal Addendum
