Sexual Harassment Procedures
The following procedures have been established to implement the provisions of the Sexual Harassment Policy approved by the Board of Governors at its meeting on June 26-27, 1992, and to replace the procedures approved by the President of the University on August 15, 1994. The Sexual Harassment Policy is shown in the Code of Policies as Section 15.010 and is referred to herein as the Policy.
INTRODUCTION
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that may violate Title VII (employee rights) and Title IX (student rights) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The following definition adapts the 1980 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines to the academic setting.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:
- Submission is made an express or implied term or condition of employment or status in a class, program, or activity;
- Submission to or rejection of the behavior is used to make an employment or educational decision (such as hiring, firing, promotion, or grading a course);
- The conduct may unreasonably interfere with a person’s work or educational performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for working or learning.
Both men and women can be sexually harassed. Sexual harassment can occur between equals, but most often occurs in situations where one person has power over another. The University’s sexual harassment policy applies to all members of the University community: students, faculty, and staff, in both on- and off-campus educational settings.