/Institutions/Rockland-Community-College/json/2014-2015/Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Rockland-Community-College/json/2014-2015/Catalog.json

2014-2015 Rockland Community College Online Catalog > Academic Policies > Policy on Sexual Harassment

Policy on Sexual Harassment

Rockland Community College is committed to providing an environment that respects and encourages the development and growth of all students, staff and faculty. Harassment of employees or students violates an individual’s rights and is inconsistent with the College policies of equal employment and academic opportunity without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, alienage or citizenship, religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran, or marital status. Sexual harassment is illegal under Federal, State and County Laws and will not be tolerated by the College.

Definition of Sexual Harassment:

1. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors and other verbal or written communications or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
   1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic standing; or
   2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decision affecting such individual; or
   3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or abusive work or academic environment.
2. Sexual harassment refers to behavior that is not welcome, that is personally offensive, that fails to respect the rights of others, that lowers morale, or creates an intimidating, hostile or otherwise offensive work or academic environment. This conduct includes:
   1. Unwanted physical contact including sexual flirtations, touching, advances, or propositions;
   2. Verbal harassment such as lewd comments, jokes, or offensive personal references, innuendoes, sexual propositions, threats and demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or suggestive comments about an individual’s personal appearance;
   3. Non-verbal harassment such as suggestive or insulting sounds, leering, whistling, obscene gestures, graphic commentaries, or the display in the workplace of demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or photographs;
   4. Demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive written, recorded, or electronically transmitted messages.
3. Sexual harassment can occur between individuals of different sexes or of the same sex.
4. Consensual relationships between a faculty member and student, or persons in supervisory-subordinated positions, are strongly discouraged. They give rise to legal concerns as well as ethical concerns. Rockland Community College strongly discourages consenting romantic or sexual relationships between members of the College community when one person has power or authority over the other. The College considers such power relationships to be improper. Where such a power differential exists, if a charge of sexual harassment is brought, the defense of mutual consent will be difficult to prove.
5. The academic or work relationship between parties extends at times beyond the physical College site and beyond College work hours. Therefore, evidence of harassment can include, but is not limited to, conduct at offsite or after-hours functions and events under the aegis of the College.

Any of the above conduct, or other offensive conduct directed at individuals because of their age, sexual orientation, alienage or citizenship, religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability and veteran or marital status is also prohibited.