If you are a student or parent looking for a Virginia Title IX lawyer, this page links the school guides on this site for six Virginia universities. Each guide explains one university’s published process for a student who has been named as a respondent.
Each university runs its own process under its own policy. The steps, the offices involved and the deadlines differ from school to school. The written notice you receive, and the policy version it names, control your case.
How Virginia universities handle Title IX cases
Each school on this page has its own policy and its own procedures. The school guides on this site do not rely on any single Virginia rule that sets the process for all of them.
Several of these schools separate a federal Title IX route from a broader university route. At George Mason, Old Dominion, the University of Virginia, VCU and Virginia Tech, the school documents say that dismissing a matter on the Title IX route does not by itself end every other university process for the same conduct. Check which route your notice names, and ask the school in writing if it does not say.
The version of the policy can also depend on dates. At George Mason, the Policy 1202 version used to decide whether conduct was prohibited is the one in effect when the conduct allegedly happened, while the linked procedure applies to reports received after January 21, 2025. At the University of Virginia, HRM-041 says the definitions in effect when an older incident occurred apply to it, while its procedures govern reports made after its effective date.
Appeal periods are a clear example of how the schools differ. George Mason’s procedure gives five business days from the date the written Notice of Determination is sent to appeal a hearing outcome. Virginia Tech’s student procedures give seven business days from the date of the decision, and the decision date counts as the first day.
Virginia university guides
- George Mason University: Covers University Policy 1202, Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence, and its linked procedures. The procedures give five business days from the date the written Notice of Determination is sent to appeal a hearing outcome, and a separate five business days from the date a dismissal notification is sent to appeal a dismissal. Check both against the dates in your own notice.
- James Madison University: Covers Policy 1346, Title IX Sexual Harassment, and Policy 1340, Sexual Misconduct, which lead to different student adjudication processes. See the school page for appeal timing.
- Old Dominion University: Covers Policy 1008 and its two tracks, Procedure A for allegations that meet Title IX’s jurisdictional criteria and Procedure B for other covered sexual misconduct. The policy web page and the linked PDF show different March 2022 revision dates. See the school page for appeal timing.
- University of Virginia: Covers HRM-041 and its Appendix A, Formal Grievance Procedure, for the Charlottesville campus, not UVA Wise. Appendix A has one appeal route for a dismissal and another for a final determination. See the school page for appeal timing.
- Virginia Commonwealth University: Covers VCU’s interim Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and its separate interim Sex-Based Misconduct Policy. Under section 19 of the Title IX policy, a written Request for Appeal must reach the Title IX Coordinator within five business days of the date of the Notice of Dismissal or Hearing Determination.
- Virginia Tech: Covers Policy 1026 and the Title IX grievance procedures for student respondents, which are separate from the employee procedures. The student procedures give seven business days from the date of a hearing decision to appeal, with the decision date as the first day. They give no filing deadline for a dismissal appeal.
Common questions
Do all Virginia universities on this page follow the same policy?
No. Each of the six universities has its own policy, its own procedures and its own offices. Two schools can use similar terms, such as a formal complaint or a live hearing, and still set different steps and deadlines.
Is the appeal deadline the same at every school?
No. George Mason’s procedure uses five business days from the date the Notice of Determination is sent. Virginia Tech’s student procedures use seven business days, counting the decision date as day one. For the other schools, read the school page and the deadline stated in your own outcome letter or dismissal notice. We do not calculate personal deadlines on this page.
What should I check first in my notice?
Check which policy and which route the notice names, the date of the alleged conduct, and every date printed on the notice. If the notice does not say which policy version or procedure applies, ask the university’s Title IX office in writing.
Can my advisor be a lawyer?
The George Mason, University of Virginia and VCU documents say a party’s advisor of choice may be an attorney. What the advisor may do, especially at a hearing, is set by each school’s own documents, so check the school page.
Talk to a Virginia Title IX lawyer
If you have received a notice from a Virginia university and want to talk it through, you can contact us. Bring the notice and any attachments to the conversation.
Disclaimer
This page is general information only and is not legal advice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any university named on this page. Reading this page or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. University policies and procedures change. The notice you receive and the policy version it names control your case, so check your notice.
