Title VI Compliance

Hudson Valley Community College is committed to complying with Title VI and providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment.

“No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
— Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d)

About Title VI

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

Title VI protections extend to discrimination and harassment based on an individual’s or group’s actual or perceived:

  • Shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics
  • Citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity

Title VI also protects people from national origin discrimination related to language or limited English proficiency. Limited English proficiency, or LEP, describes people whose primary language is not English and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak or understand English.

While Title VI does not prohibit discrimination based solely on religion, it does protect individuals from discrimination and harassment that is based on actual or perceived shared ancestry, ethnicity or national origin.

Examples of prohibited discrimination and harassment include:

  • Racial, ethnic or ancestral epithets or slurs
  • How a person or group looks, dresses or speaks when these characteristics are linked to ethnicity or ancestry, such as skin color, facial features, attire, accent, name or language spoken
  • Potentially or allegedly inherited traits
  • Stereotypes about people who share certain ancestral or ethnic characteristics

Report Discrimination or Harassment

You may report alleged discrimination or harassment based on national origin to the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Title VI Coordinator

Ainsley Thomas
Chief Diversity Officer and Title VI Coordinator

The Title VI coordinator oversees the college’s compliance with Title VI and the investigation of discrimination and harassment complaints. The coordinator’s responsibilities include:

  • Offering supportive measures to those who submit complaints
  • Informing those who submit complaints about the college’s applicable policies and procedures
  • Ensuring that the college maintains a process for investigating and resolving complaints in accordance with federal and state law

For questions about Title VI, contact Ainsley Thomas at (518) 629-4596 or a.thomas1@hvcc.edu.