Brown University

Unlawful harassment in the work and educational environment is created if conduct of another person is sufficiently serious that it interferes with an employee’s ability to perform their job or denies or limits a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s programs. Factors to be considered in determining whether and the extent to which a hostile work or learning environment has been created include, but are not limited to, the frequency, severity and pervasiveness of the conduct, whether it is physically threatening, the degree to which the conduct interfered with an employee’s work performance or a student’s academic performance and/or full enjoyment of the academic/campus programs and services, the relationship between the alleged harasser and the subject or subjects of the harassment, the welcomeness or unwelcomeness of the conduct, etc. The severity and pervasiveness of the conduct is considered from both subjective and objective perspectives (the conduct is viewed as hostile and abusive by both a “reasonable person” and the person who is subjected to the conduct).

Racial harassment is generally defined as the subjection of an individual or group to abusive or threatening actions based on race. Brown regards all incidents of racial harassment, whether verbal, written or physical as violations of the University's Tenets of Community Behavior. For an academic institution, where the integrity of the educational process and the mutual respect of faculty, students or staff are so important, racial harassment is of great concern.

If a supervisor (or coworker or fellow student) makes sexual jokes, obscene gestures and/or posts sexual pictures that make people uncomfortable, this is called "hostile environment" sexual harassment.

Examples of sexual harassment include:

* Uninvited touching or hugging
* Requesting sexual favors for rewards related to school or work
* Suggestive jokes of a sexual nature
* Sexual pictures or displays
* Continuing unwelcome flirtation or propositions
* Obscene gestures or sounds
* Written notes of a sexual nature

The following examples may be considered sexual harassment:

* uninvited touching, hugging, patting of someone's body;
* requesting or suggesting sexual favors for rewards related to school or work;
* suggestive jokes of a sexual nature or slurs; sexual pictures or displays, continuing unwelcome flirtations or propositions; obscene gestures or sounds; written notes of a sexual nature.

The EEOC defines sexual harassment as:

* unwelcome sexual advances;
* requests for sexual favors;
* other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature-when: [...] the conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or sexually offensive working environment.

Sexual harassment may involve the behavior of a person of either sex against a person of the opposite or same sex, and occurs when such behavior constitutes unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature where: [...] Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s welfare, academic or work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive education or work environment.

Examples of the kinds of conduct that may constitute sexual harassment include, but are not limited to: Unwelcome sexual propositions, invitations, solicitations, and flirtations. [...] Unwelcome verbal expressions of a sexual nature, including graphic sexual commentaries about a person's body, dress, appearance, or sexual activities; the unwelcome use of sexually degrading language, jokes or innuendoes; unwelcome suggestive or insulting sounds or whistles; obscene phone calls.Sexually suggestive objects, pictures, videotapes, audio recordings, computer communications, or literature placed in the work or study area, that may embarrass or offend individuals.

Sexual harassment is understood to encompass a wide range of behavior, including the coercion of a person into a sexual relationship, the subjection of the person to inappropriate verbal or physical sexual attention, and retaliation for a refusal to comply with sexual demands.

Offenses: [...] Subjecting another person or group to abusive, threatening, intimidating, or harassing actions, including, but not limited to, those based on race, religion, gender, disability, age, economic status, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Academic freedom is essential to the function of education and the pursuit of scholarship in universities. Therefore, Brown University, mindful of its historic commitment to scholarship and to the free exchange of ideas, affirms that faculty and students alike shall enjoy full freedom in their teaching, learning, and research. Brown University also affirms that faculty and students shall have freedom of religious belief, of speech, of press, of association and assembly, of political activity inside and outside the University, the right to petition authorities, public and university, to invite speakers of their choice to the campus and that students and faculty as such should not be required to take any oath not required of other citizens. The time, place and manner of exercising these rights on campus shall be subject to reasonable regulation only to prevent interference with the normal functions of the University.

Use appropriate standards of civility when using computing systems to communicate with other individuals. University guidelines prohibit harassing email, electronic chain mail, pyramid schemes (also illegal in Rhode Island), 'spamming' (Any unwanted or unsolicited email, usually propaganda for scams, web sites, goods, and services).

Description of membership and definition of membership. Must include: 1) verbatim the non-discrimination statement on attached constitution format, unless specifically exempted in Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, and 2) a statement requiring majority membership to consist of full-time undergraduate Brown students.

SAMPLE CONSTITUTION [...] Eligibility to the ABC DUG is open to all full-time undergraduate members of the Brown community and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, handicap, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. Majority membership consists of full-time undergraduate Brown students, specifically concentrators or potential concentrators in the ABC department.