Student Conduct Manual: Definitions

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 20, 2017

Sexual Harassment: • Unwelcome, gender-based verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct that is sexual in nature and sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it unreasonably interferes with, denies, or limits someone’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s educational program and/or activities, and is based on power differentials, the creation of a hostile environment, or retaliation.

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Student Conduct Manual: College Regulations- Disorderly Conduct

Speech Code Category: Policies on Tolerance, Respect, and Civility
Last updated: December 20, 2017

SECTION 7: Disorderly Conduct Any disorderly conduct which interferes with the rights of others is prohibited. Examples of disorderly conduct include harassment, threats, physical abuse or the threat of physical abuse.

Harassment may include unwelcome conduct directed against a person based on one or more of that person’s protected characteristics or status, including age, color, race, disability, marital status, national/ethnic origin, religion, veteran’s status, sex [including pregnancy], gender expression or gender identity, sexual orientation, political activities or genetic information, and which is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it unreasonably interferes with, denies, or limits an individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from the university’s education program and/or activities, and creates an academic environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating or hostile. Activity protected by the First Amendment will not constitute harassment.

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Complaint Procedure for Review of Allegations of Unlawful Discrimination/Harassment

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 20, 2017

Harassment on the Basis of Protected Characteristic(s) other than Sex/Gender – harassment based on race, color, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics is oral, written, graphic or physical conduct relating to an individual’s protected characteristics that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the educational institution’s programs or activities.

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Complaint Procedure for Review of Allegations of Unlawful Discrimination/Harassment

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 20, 2017

Sexual Harassment in the Educational Setting – Sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it unreasonably interferes with, denies or limits, on the basis of sex, the student’s ability to participate in or to receive benefits, services, or opportunities in the educational institution’s program.

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Sexual Harassment & Sexual Violence Policy

Speech Code Category: Harassment Policies
Last updated: December 20, 2017

Sexual Harassment:  Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome, inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it unreasonably interferes with, denies or limits, on the basis of sex, an individual’s ability to perform their work or participate in or benefit from the College’s education program and/or activities.  This can include such acts as comments, gestures, or physical contact that meet the standard set forth above.  Sexual harassment can involve a quid pro quo in which an employee with authority demands sexual favors of a subordinate employee or a student with either a reward promised or punishment threatened.  Sexual harassment can involve the establishment of a hostile work or school environment.

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3 PSU Policies Called Unconstitutional

November 18, 2016

By Ashleigh Livingston at Press-Republican The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is accusing SUNY Plattsburgh of having unconstitutional speech codes… Read more here.

University Training Programs Can Misinform, Fail to Protect

December 30, 2015

2015 has been a landmark year for student activism, including for those demanding more attention be paid to the issue of rape and sexual assault on college campuses. Although this activism has helped shine light on an important issue, many of the responses by universities have undermined students’ rights in critical ways. While FIRE has written extensively this year about the lack of due process in campus disciplinary proceedings, there is another aspect of universities’ responses that we want to call attention to: mandatory “orientations” and “training programs” that freshmen are often required to take in order to register for […]