Fitchburg State University will observe Constitution Day at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the main lounge of Hammond Hall with a keynote address by attorney, author and student advocate C.L. Lindsay III entitled “Knowing Your Rights: Title IX and Gender Equity on Campus.” The program is free and open to the public.
Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Each year, Fitchburg State’s Constitution Day events are planned and organized by the General Education Program. Experts on campus in the Constitution and the law come together and decide on a theme. The planned events focus on that theme as well as how different general education learning outcomes work together.
Programming continues Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the Center for Teaching and Learning in the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library, with Director of Title IX and Equal Opportunity Rebecca H. Newell presenting “Title IX 101.” This overview of the federal civil rights law passed in 1972 will include a discussion of how the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause has been interpreted over time. Attendees will learn about the roots and evolution of the regulations surrounding the prohibition of sex discrimination in educational programs, how Fitchburg State has recently summarized over 1500 pages into campus policy, and what campus community members’ responsibilities are.
With a background in higher education legal and policy analysis, Newell supports the institution's adherence to civil rights laws and helps to foster an environment where all students and employees can thrive.
See more about Fitchburg State’s Constitution Day observances at fitchburgstate.edu/academics/general-education-program/constitution-day.