The Obama administration's policies for dealing with sexual assault on college campuses was a "failed system" that didn't benefit students or universities dealing with the issue, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Friday evening.

Speaking at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, DeVos said the Title IX guidelines implemented by President Barack Obama's administration to combat sexual assault "didn't work for students, it didn't work for institutions, it didn't work for anyone."

Describing the guidelines as one of several examples of the previous administration's overreach from Washington, D.C., DeVos said she and President Donald Trump were ready to step back and allow local entities to take a larger role in developing policy.

"President Trump and I know our jobs -- it's to get out of the way," DeVos said to applause.

DeVos' comments come on the heels of her announcement implementing new interim guidance for campus sexual assault, throwing out the sexual assault guidance issued by President Barack Obama's administration in 2011, which urged colleges and universities to more aggressively tackle instances of sexual assault.

The new guidance does not provide a time frame that constitutes a "prompt" investigation, whereas the Obama-era rules recommended a 60-day window following the complaint. It also lets universities use a higher standard of proof to determine whether a student is guilty of sexual assault.

In addition to other changes, the new guidance says that schools - once sexual assault allegations have been reported - have the option to pursue an "informal resolution," including mediation, if all parties agree. The Obama-era guidance says "mediation is not appropriate even on a voluntary basis."

Following the announcement Friday, administrators at Michigan's colleges universities said they would be watching ongoing replacement efforts to the guidelines closely, but declined to weigh in on whether DeVos was making the right call by overturning the rules or whether there are any particular changes they would like to see moving forward.

During her speech to attendees at the Republican conference, DeVos said Trump is "very encouraging and he is very empowering" when it comes to allowing his cabinet to make decisions, and spent considerable time addressing an issue she's long focused on at both the state and federal level -- school choice.

"Choice in education is good politics because it's good policy. It's good policy because it comes from good parents who want better for their children," she said. "Families are on the front lines of this fight -- let's stand with them."

DeVos, a West Michigan native and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, was narrowly confirmed as U.S. Education Secretary earlier this year following months of pushback from activists and education advocates.

Prior to her confirmation, DeVos and members of her family were active fundraisers for Michigan Republicans and advocated for school choice and education voucher programs.

Watch DeVos' speech in its entirety below: