Tufts Launches University-Wide Training Series on Civil Rights Protections

Tufts University, under the direction of the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), has launched a new training initiative to deepen community understanding of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

From October through April 2026, 95 online sessions will be offered to faculty, staff, and affiliates, with the goal of educating the widest possible audience and reinforcing the university's commitment to equity and nondiscrimination.

Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry/shared ancestry, disability, and religion in programs receiving federal financial assistance. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on the Title VI categories-plus, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, additional categories (including sex, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender identity, among several others) are also protected.

The series of trainings will align with the Tufts' nondiscrimination policy, in an effort to prevent discrimination and harassment against all our community members around the specific protected categories of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, shared ancestry, religion, and their intersectionality.

"We need to make sure our entire community understands what the Title VI and VII categories represent and how we can prevent discrimination and harassment of all types on our campuses," said Jill Zellmer, associate vice president for the Office of Equal Opportunity at Tufts.

"My sense is that our community is eager for this kind of opportunity to learn more," added Zellmer, who has directed the Tufts OEO since 2011, and who also holds the titles of Title IX coordinator and Title VI officer at the university.

"These trainings are about legal compliance, yes-and they are also a way for us to show our commitment to the eradication of discrimination and harassment for all our community members at Tufts," Zellmer said. She also notes that participation in these trainings will be strongly encouraged by each school's senior leadership.

To deliver the sessions, Tufts is partnering with Home Ground Consulting, an organization focused on coaching and training on civil rights compliance. Each training will be led by a Home Ground facilitator, with Tufts OEO staff also attending to provide support and Tufts-specific context, as needed, during the sessions.

The training series kicks off this month with sessions for university senior leaders. The broader rollout for faculty, staff, and affiliates will follow, with sessions conducted via Zoom offered beginning in October. Each two-hour session will include a combination of facilitator-led presentations and interactive elements such as real-time polling. The number of participants in each session will be capped at 45 to maximize opportunities for questions and discussion.

Over the summer, the consulting team worked closely with OEO to familiarize themselves with the university's ongoing efforts in the equity and nondiscrimination space and to better understand Tufts' institutional culture.

"Respect for all the voices in our community is critical," said Zellmer. "This training is a significant commitment from Tufts leadership to ensure a future for us in which robust intellectual discourse flourishes at the same time that each individual feels welcomed, supported, respected, and protected across our campuses. They are not mutually exclusive; we can-and must-do both!"

This marks the second time Tufts has conducted a university-wide training effort of this kind; in 2014-15, Tufts OEO led a series of Title IX trainings for all faculty and staff across all the university's campuses with a focus on sexual misconduct prevention.

Instructions on how to register for a Title VI/Title VII training session will be shared with the community via email this week.