The reinterpretation of Title IX by U.S. Department of Education has prompted the University of Iowa faculty senate to make some drastic changes in its dispute procedure policy.

The faculty senate gathered Tuesday to formally vote previously approved revisions to its policy which also included, among others, solving the sexual harassment cases-from filing a complaint to sanctioning the accused employee-within 60 days. Previously, the university took 240 days to complete the Title IX case procedures.

The changes were made in response to the April 2011 letter by the U.S. Department of Education, in which it asked the universities to extend the reach of Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in activities such as sports.

According to the UI faculty dispute procedure manual, Title IX "prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs of activities operated by recipients of federal financial aid." But, the education department's letter extended the scope of Title IX by stating, sexual harassment as a form of sexual discrimination.

This newly added dimension to the Title IX meant changes in the policies of schools, which now have to consider all sexual harassment cases as Title IX cases.

"It took a while for institutions of higher education to observe the meaning of the letter," said Maria Lukas, a UI deputy general counsel to Daily Iowan, a university community newspaper.

"The letter shifted the focus of Title IX from only athletics to all other departments. Title IX calls for gender equity in all programs."

These policy revisions also mean Title IX cases can no longer mediated with the alleged victim and the rights of the alleged victim will be in par with that of the accused.

But many UI faculty members are worried the short 60-days window may result in a decrease of reporting of sexual assault incidents. But, UI's chief diversity officer Georgina Dodge is confident that, in fact, reporting will increase, as the university is hiring a new investigative officer.