Title IX & Commitment to Diversity
A community built on dignity and belonging
American Jewish University is committed to building a community rooted in dignity, equity, and belonging. We actively cultivate an environment where students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences can learn, teach, lead, and thrive.
We recognize and value diversity across race, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, language, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, medical condition, veteran status, political affiliation, and lived experience. Our hiring, recruitment, and retention practices reflect this commitment.
As a Jewish institution, we also embrace the rich diversity within the Jewish community itself — across cultures, ethnicities, denominations, movements, and perspectives. We welcome Jews and non-Jews alike, and we respect the diversity of opinion that strengthens serious learning and vibrant communal life.
Our commitment is grounded in Jewish tradition: to love the stranger, to uphold justice equally, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. These are not abstract ideals. They are guiding principles for how we build a university community that is thoughtful, inclusive, and deeply human.
Title IX
As part of AJU’s continued and unwavering commitment to Title IX compliance and Section 504 student support, we are sharing important updates to the administration of both programs.
AJU remains firmly committed to fostering a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all members of our community. As part of this commitment, the University has engaged Cozen O’Connor’s Institutional Response Group to provide external Title IX coordination and compliance oversight.
Morgan Dyrek, an attorney with Cozen O’Connor, based in Los Angeles, will serve as AJU’s external Title IX Coordinator. She will serve in a neutral, non-legal capacity to support AJU’s efforts to meet and uphold its Title IX responsibilities and as a resource to community members seeking assistance with Title IX matters. You can learn more about Morgan’s background and expertise here.
American Jewish University (“AJU” or “University”) does not discriminate in admissions (including application for admission), employment (including application for employment), or in any of its educational programs or activities on the basis of actual or perceived race (including ancestry, ethnicity, and ethnic characteristics), color, sex, sex stereotypes, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin (including language and citizenship), age (40 years and over in the employment context), parental, marital, or familial status, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), pregnancy or related conditions (including childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery), physical or mental disability, military or veteran status (service in United Stated armed forces only), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, status as a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking, and any other status protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance, as required by: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the California Fair Employment and Housing Act; and other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation.
AJU prohibits unlawful harassment of students, employees and external parties on the basis of any protected characteristic as identified above.
AJU also prohibits retaliation against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by University policy or law, or because the individual makes a good faith report or complaint, testifies, assists, participates, or refuses to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under the University’s Policies and Procedures on Prohibition of Sex Discrimination and/or Prohibition of Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.
These Policies, Procedures, and a Fact Sheet summarizing these documents are available below:
- Policy on Prohibition of Sex Discrimination
- Procedures on Prohibition of Sex Discrimination
- Policy on Prohibition of Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
- Procedures on Prohibition of Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
- Fact Sheet: AJU Policies and Procedures on Prohibited Conduct
- Sexual Misconduct Policy & Procedures (Title IX)
Individuals could also use the online reporting form to make a report. Anonymous reports could be made using this form: https://aju.formstack.com/forms/title_ix_reporting_form
A fillable PDF version of the form is also available here.
Please direct all inquiries about Title IX and AJU’s prohibitions against sex discrimination, and unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation to the external Title IX Coordinator.
AJU complies with all federal and state laws that protect individuals with physical or mental disabilities from discrimination based on their actual or perceived disability status. As such, reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities when such modifications and services are necessary to access the University’s programs and services.
Please see AJU’s Policy on Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities for more information. This Policy includes AJU’s policy on service and emotional support animals. Please see AJU’s Procedures on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities for more information on how students could request for disability-based accommodations, and any other issues related to the accommodations review process at AJU.
Accommodation requests and disability-related questions should be directed to the responsible individual or office identified in the policy.