Sexual Harassment Policy — SGCS

The University is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of sexual harassment. In keeping with this commitment, the University will not tolerate sexual harassment of any University student, staff member, or faculty member by anyone, including any instructor, supervisor, co-worker, student, or vendor of the University.

Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, made by an executive, administrative staff or faculty member to a student, or by a student to a faculty or administrative staff member, or any conduct of a sexual nature that substantially interferes with the student's educational performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment. It includes any threat, subtle or direct, that a sexual or social relationship is part of one's higher educational performance, in terms of earning grades or honors. Sexual harassment may include explicit sexual propositions, sexual innuendo, suggestive comments, sexually-oriented "kidding" or "teasing," "practical jokes," "jokes" about gender-specific traits, foul or obscene printed or visual material, and physical contact such as patting, pinching, or brushing against another's body.

All employees and students of the University are responsible for complying with this policy and for helping to avoid harassment. Students feeling they have experienced or witnessed harassment should promptly report the incident to the office of either the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies or the Director of Admissions and Academic Services in the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. The University forbids retaliation against anyone for reporting sexual harassment, assisting in making a sexual harassment complaint, or cooperating in a sexual harassment investigation.

The University will investigate all such complaints thoroughly, impartially, and promptly. To the fullest extent possible, the University will keep all complaints and the terms of their resolution confidential. If an investigation confirms that harassment has occurred, the University will take corrective action, including such discipline as is appropriate, up to and including termination or expulsion.