The department is committed to confronting situations of intolerance that result from lack of respect. Whether these acts of intolerance are public or private, they destroy the community we share and are irreconcilable with the mission of the University.

A. “Harassment” means an incident or incidents of verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct based on or motivated by a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or disability that has the purpose or effect of objectively and substantially undermining and detracting from or interfering with a student’s educational performance or access to school resources or creating an objectively intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

B. “Harassment” includes conduct which violates subdivision (A) of this definition and constitutes one or more of the following:
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Racial harassment, which means conduct directed at the characteristics of a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or perceived race or color, and includes the use of epithets, stereotypes, racial slurs, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, threats, graffiti, display, or circulation of written or visual material, and taunts on manner of speech and negative references to racial customs. [...] Harassment of members of other protected categories, which means conduct directed at the characteristics of a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or perceived creed, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or disability and includes the use of epithets, stereotypes, slurs, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, threats, graffiti, display, or
circulation of written or visual material, taunts on manner of speech, and negative references to customs related to any of these protected categories.

Examples of sexual harassment may include, but are not limited to, the following: • unwelcome sexual propositions • sexually graphic comments about a person's body • unwelcome touching, patting, pinching, or leering • persistent, offensive, and unwelcome sexual jokes and comments • unwelcome displays of sexually graphic pictures

Sexual harassment: means conduct that includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when one or more of the following occur: [...] The conduct has the purpose or effect of objectively and substantially undermining and detracting from or interfering with a student’s educational performance or access to school resources or creating an objectively intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Sexual Harassment: a deliberate or repeated behavior which is unwelcome, hostile, offensive, or degrading to the recipient.

Examples of sexual harassment are:

* making sexual jokes that are offensive to the recipient
* spreading sexual rumors about someone
* repeatedly asking someone out on a date when they have declined

Examples of sexual harassment are:

* making sexual jokes that are offensive to the recipient
* spreading sexual rumors about someone
* repeatedly asking someone out on a date when they have declined

Threatening or causing non-physical abuse of or abusive behavior toward another person, including, but not limited to, verbal or written statements that constitute a form of expression unprotected by law, such as obscenity, fighting words, or defamation. Non-physical abuse means psychological abuse or abusive behavior through oral or written statements that are intended or could reasonably be foreseen to cause disruption, embarrassment, humiliation, shame, fright, grief, or intimidation.

The University of Vermont considers freedom of inquiry and discussion essential to a student's educational development. Thus, the University recognizes the right of all students to engage in discussion, to exchange thought and opinion, and to speak, write, or publish freely on any subject, in accordance with the guarantees of the United States and Vermont constitutions. This broad principle is the cornerstone of education in a democracy. Student groups may freely select persons they wish to invite as guest speakers or performers. There are no restrictions on the points of view expressed by speakers other than those imposed by federal or state law. The invitation to an outside speaker does not imply approval or sponsorship of his/her views by the University or by the group inviting that individual.

PUBLICITY, ADVERTISING, MARKETING, AND PROMOTION
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Advertisements must avoid demeaning sexual or discriminatory portrayals of individuals.