Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

OCR Legislation

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Office for Civil Rights requires the Wisconsin Technical College System to conduct career and technical education (CTE) site visits as part of its Vocational Education Methods of Administration (MOA) civil rights compliance of colleges that receive federal funding. On-site reviews are based on the following U.S. DOE regulations:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (34 CFR, Part 100). Prohibiting discrimination based on race, color and national origin.
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (34 CFR, Part 106). Prohibiting discrimination based on gender.
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (34 CFR, Part 104). Prohibiting discrimination based on disability.

The reviews are also based on the following U.S. Department of Justice regulations:

• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1190 and its implementing regulations (28 CFR, Part 35)
• Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex and Disability (34 CFR, Part 100, Appendix B

Civil Rights Compliance Reviews for the Biennium

• Fall 2024: Western Technical College
• Spring 2025: Fox Valley Technical College
• Fall 2025: Southwest Technical College
• Spring 2026: Chippewa Valley Technical College

This schedule is subject to change.

Resources

• Overview of Civil Rights Compliance Reviews
• OCR Review Checklist
• Letter Of Findings Example
• Voluntary Compliance Plan Template
• Department of Education Civil Rights Tutorials and Technical Assistance
• Supporting Educational Environments Free from Discrimination: A Resource Collection for Postsecondary Institutions (July 2023, U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights)
• Accessibility Resources:
  • Office for Civil Rights Digital Accessibility video series
  • Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Standards
  • Presentation and recording on creating accessible Adobe InDesign materials

For questions regarding OCR, please contact Anna Richter, Wisconsin’s MOA Coordinator for postsecondary career and technical education.