Student Rights and Code of Conduct: Harassment Policy

Relevant Excerpt

In the educational environment, for conduct to constitute harassment under this policy, it must include more than the mere expression of views, words, symbols, or thoughts that another person finds offensive. The conduct must be: (1) unwelcome; (2) discriminatory on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran’s status, or other protected class under federal or state law; (3) directed at an individual; and (4) so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive (i.e., it would be offensive to a reasonable person in the victim’s position, considering all of the circumstances), and so undermine and detract from the victim’s educational experience, that the victim is effectively denied equal access to the University’s resources and opportunities. This type of harassment is traditionally referred to as “hostile environment” harassment.

Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature (i.e., sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature) that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive as to violate this policy (as described above) constitutes sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in this context is a form of hostile environment harassment.