May 29, 2014 11:57 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The U.S. Education Department has added five schools to the list of federal investigations for complaints against their sexual assault policies and practices.

According to the Huffington Post, the five new schools the ED's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) are the University of Alaska system, the University of Delaware, Elmira College in New York, the University of Akron in Ohio and Cisco Junior College in Texas.

The ED made headlines when it officially released their list of 55 schools under investigation and the newly added schools brings that total to 60. Previously, the HP had reported on federal complaints filed to the OCR via complainants' testimony and documents provided them.

The move to officially confirm the list was unprecedented for the ED, since neither the OCR nor the school have confirmed or denied any investigations until their completion. A vast majority of these investigation focus on whether or not a school violated federal laws like the Clery Act and Title IX.

Under Title IX, schools are required to carry out adequate sexual assault investigations, since the crime is one of sexual discrimination. With the Clery Act, schools are required to be fully transparent with crimes committed on campus. Violations can result in fines, loss of funding or complete loss of federal aid, but the ED has never taken that action.

At Akron, the HP previously reported the school copied its sexual assault policies from another. As a result, students ended up being referred to offices and resources the school did not have. While the ED said it began its investigation at Akron May 6, the school said it has not been informed of it.

"We believe we have a comprehensive system in place to support students who need help when they are facing situations that are potentially harmful to their wellbeing and/or academic success, including students who have been a victim of sexual assault," Eileen Korey, a school spokesperson, said in a statement.

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