Consistent with state and federal law and University policy, harassment is defined as unwelcome or unsolicited speech or conduct based upon race, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, national origin, age, color, or handicapping condition, that creates a hostile work environment or circumstances involving quid pro quo.

A hostile environment is one that both a reasonable person would find hostile or abusive and one that the particular person who is the object of the harassment perceives to be hostile or abusive. Hostile environment is determined by looking at all of the circumstances, including:

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the frequency of the allegedly harassing conduct;

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the severity of allegedly harassing conduct;

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whether such conduct is physically threatening or humiliating;

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whether such conduct unreasonably interferes with a an employee's work performance, or with a student's academic performance or full enjoyment of University programs or services;

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whether such conduct has the effect of emphasizing the race, sex, sexual orientation, sexual identity, creed, religion, national origin, age, color, or handicapping condition in a manner offensive to a reasonable person; or

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whether such conduct has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment in the workplace or inside or outside the classroom.

ad. Racial harassment - a threat of personal injury or property damage that is racially based, or other racially-oriented conduct (whether or not accompanied by verbal communication) that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, and that so undermines and detracts from the complainant’s educational or other University-related experience, that the complainant is effectively denied equal access to the University’s resources and opportunities.

ac. Sexual harassment - unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other gender-oriented conduct or conduct that emphasizes sexual-orientation that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive, and that so undermines and detracts from the complainant’s educational or other University-related experience, that the complainant is effectively denied equal access to the University’s resources and opportunities.

If you need additional examples of unlawful harassment that could occur in our university working, learning, and living environment…

* demeaning photos, calendars, cartoons, or graphic content in areas where other University community members can view them
* telling racist, sexist, homophobic jokes that demean people because of their protected class membership
* commenting inappropriately on someone’s appearance
* repeatedly requesting dates from a person who clearly isn’t interested
* stating that people of one sex are inferior to people of the other sex or can’t perform their jobs as well as a result of their sex; labeling people and jobs due to sex or other protected class membership
* sexual innuendoes & comments
* direct or indirect threats or bribes for unwanted sexual activity
* intrusive sexually explicit questions
* sexually suggestive sounds or gestures
* touching, patting, pinching, stroking, squeezing, tickling or brushing against a person
* ogling or leering at a woman’s breast or a man’s derrière
* letters, notes, phone calls or material of a sexual nature
* using derogatory epithets and stories that stereotype people
* using slang words for people or for groups of people
* imposing religious beliefs

The University encourages the free exchange of ideas on campus and is committed to making space available for such
exchanges and communicative activities, while maintaining a balance with the University's legitimate interests in assuring
that such exchanges and activities do not: (a) render a space unsatisfactory for its normal or primary use; (b) conflict with
previously scheduled uses of the space; (c) impede campus pedestrian or vehicular traffic; or (d) prevent individuals who
are not participating in such activities from proceeding with their normal activities. See Sections 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6,
above, and Sections 12.8, 12.9, 12.10, and 12.11, below . Accordingly, consistent with these and the other provisions of
this Policy, while the University reserves the right to control time, place, and manner in which its facilities are used, the
University permits individuals, groups, or entities to engage in public speaking, peaceful assembly, or similar exchanges of
ideas at the Unscheduled Public Speaking Areas.
The following areas are designated as Unscheduled Public Speaking areas: (a) Sanford Mall; (b) Durham Park; (c) the
Duck Pond Field behind Trivette Hall; and (d) the open-air amphitheater adjacent to Plemmons Student Union are
designated as the Unscheduled Public Speaking Areas on the University campus. These areas are available on a first-come
first-served basis for noncommercial speech or assembly unless otherwise scheduled. Any use of the Unscheduled Public
Speaking Areas scheduled pursuant to this Policy shall have priority over any unscheduled use. Therefore, person(s) or
organization(s) interested in using any of these areas should check with the Information Desk in the Plemmons Student
Union to determine its availability and to avoid possible conflicts. All uses of the Unscheduled Public Speaking Areas are
subject to the requirements of this policy governing the use of exterior space on campus, including but not limited to,
Sections 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 12.8, 12.9, 12.10, and 12.11.
Except as otherwise specified in this policy, any individual, group, or entity seeking to use University facilities for the
purpose of public speaking or peaceful assembly must qualify under the provisions of Sections 7, 8, or 9, above, must
obtain co-sponsorship as required by Section 3.4.1 if non University affiliated, and must seek and obtain authorization and
scheduling from the specified University office or officer pursuant to Section 14, below.
Notwithstanding the foregoing Section 12.3, persons who wish to engage in noncommercial speech at the Unscheduled
Public Speaking Areas need not obtain co-sponsorship or authorization.
Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted to prevent or require University faculty, departments or University-affiliated
organizations from fulfilling their responsibilities and purposes as they relate to
promoting speakers on campus. Further, University faculty, University departments, and University-affiliated organizations
are not required to seek approval for a public speaker provided that the speaker is part of its program and associated with
its educational mission or purpose and all applicable University policies are followed.
Requests for use of facilities for public speaking or peaceful assembly are granted for one-day only, with a maximum of no
more than two days per semester. Requests for use of University facilities for public speaking or peaceful assembly must
be made at least 24 hours in advance of the time period requested, unless allowed by special permission of the Vice
Chancellor for Student Development. All requests must be made to the Vice Chancellor for Student Development or the
Dean of Students.
Groups seeking approval to hold a peaceful assembly on campus must complete and submit all necessary and requested
documentation and information at least 24 hours prior to the proposed assembly.
If public speaking or a peaceful assembly will involve solicitation as defined above in Section 2.7, the provisions of
Section 11 above will apply and supersede the provisions of this Section 12.
Use of sound amplification equipment is governed by Section 5.4 above. No sound amplification of any kind is permitted in the Unscheduled Public Speaking Areas, unless written approval has been obtained pursuant to Section 5.4.
Public speakers and those involved in peaceful assemblies must comply with all applicable laws and all applicable
University policies. As stated in Section 5.6 above, individuals who engage in unlawful conduct while participating in or
attending such activities or events will be subject to arrest.
Public speakers and participants in peaceful assemblies may not call out to non-audiencemembers or non-participants in
the vicinity to request that they listen to the speaker or participate in a peaceful assembly.
All activities or events must be conducted in such a manner that campus pedestrian traffic and automobile traffic are not
unreasonably impeded and that members of the University community who are not participating in the activity or event
may proceed with their normal activities.

Violations include, but are not limited to:
[...]
the sending of abusive or obscene messages via computers....

4. The proposed organization must afford opportunities to members on the basis of personal merit and not race, sex, creed, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin or ancestry. (Greek social fraternities and sororities are exempt from discrimination on the basis of sex by federal law.)