Navigating Title VI in 2026: Practical Guidance for Higher Education
2026-04-29 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Webinar

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Event Details

About this Event

Institutions of higher education continue to face complex and evolving challenges related to complaints of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, national origin, and shared ancestry. Title VI enforcement remains a significant federal priority in President Trump’s second term. As a result, colleges and universities are navigating heightened expectations to foster non-discriminatory, welcoming environments for their faculty, students, and staff, while also strengthening compliance practices and responses to federal investigations and enforcement activities.

This two-hour NACUA webinar will provide a timely overview of the current Title VI landscape. Presenters will discuss recent developments, including relevant Executive Orders, ongoing litigation, and agency guidance, and will offer practical guidance for institutions seeking to ensure compliance with Title VI guidance.

Topics will include:

Key considerations and best practices for establishing or enhancing a campus Title VI office, or integrating Title VI functions within a broader civil rights office;

Recent enforcement priorities and insights including from Resolution Agreements (under both current and prior administrations);

Strategies for reviewing and aligning institutional policies with Title VI requirements;

Considerations in conducting effective Title VI investigations; and

The role of training in supporting institutional compliance and effective Title VI responses.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar will be of interest to all college and university counsel, particularly those who advise on Title VI matters (including campus policies on harassment and other forms of discrimination), student conduct, compliance, and belonging, access, and engagement, as well as investigators and campus administrators with responsibilities related to these areas.

Speakers

Kathleen Peterson

Kathleen Peterson
Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Employment Law
Brown University

Kathleen Peterson is Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Employment Law at Brown University. Kate came to Brown University in May of 2019 after more than a dozen years as Vice President and Senior Counsel of Employment & Litigation at Citizens Bank. Prior to joining Citizens, Kate was a labor & employment litigator at Sullivan & Worcester LLP in Boston and Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP in both Boston and Providence.

As Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Employment Law, Kate is responsible for advising the University on all labor and employment matters, as well as managing the University’s broad litigation portfolio. She partners closely with division heads, human resources, compliance personnel, and key stakeholders to meaningfully provide advice and respond to and defend litigation or agency inquiries regarding employee relations functions as well as a broad range of litigation and investigations in a complex, fast-paced environment. Kate also leads employee and manager training with an eye towards compliance practices and risk mitigation and throughout her career has been a frequent speaker on a variety of labor & employment topics, ranging from wage and hour issues and ADA/FMLA concerns to the impact of social media on the workplace and related privacy implications.

Kate graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Providence College and earned her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and her M.P.H. from Boston University School of Public Health, while serving as the school’s Health Law Fellow. During law school, Kate served as a Note Editor on BU Law School’s American Journal of Law & Medicine. Kate currently serves as an adjunct professor at Providence College, where she teaches business law.

Matthew Wallis

Matthew Wallis
Director of Contracts
Texas Christian University

Matthew Wallis has spent more than 20 years working in both the public and private sectors. For the past 12 years, he has served as the Director of Contracts at Texas Christian University, where he leads a small team of three to handle more than 2500 contracts annually.

As the Director of Contracts, Matthew has held the unique position of being both a contracts director and the primary contracts attorney for the university, while personally signing 90% of the University’s contracts. His expertise in contract negotiation and management has been instrumental in helping the university navigate complex legal issues and develop effective policies and procedures.

Matthew earned his law degree from Baylor University School of Law in 2000 and began his legal career as a felony prosecutor for the Johnson County District Attorney's Office in Johnson County, Texas. In 2002, Matthew joined the City of Fort Worth as an Assistant City Attorney, where he provided legal guidance to city officials and departments and litigated on a wide range of issues, including land use/development, code enforcement, public records, and employment law matters. Following his time with the City of Fort Worth, he worked as associate with the law firm of Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla and Elam from 2007 to 2011, where he represented municipal and non-profit clients, including serving as City Attorney for several Texas municipalities, including Benbrook, Ovilla, and Edgecliff Village.

Program Schedule

TimeSession Topic1:00 PMWelcome and IntroductionsFraming the Current LandscapeEnforcement Priorities and Resolution AgreementsStructuring Institutional Response: Title VI Offices and Reporting1:45 PMQ&APolicy Review and Risk MitigationTraining and Practical Application2:45 PMQ&A3:00 PMConclusion

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