Definitions of Sexual Misconduct

Sexual Harassment

The College prohibits its employees (including faculty and staff), agents, and students from engaging in sexual harassment. Any such person found responsible for sexual harassment is subject to College disciplinary action (up to and including dismissal) as well as personal liability. Sexual harassment, whether opposite or same sex, includes but is not limited to: unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors, and other behavior of a sexual nature or based on a person’s sex, whether it occurs on or off campus, when:

• Submission to such conduct is made a condition, explicit or implicit, of an individual’s employment or educational opportunities; or
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a factor in or basis for decisions affecting an individual’s employment or educational opportunities; or
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s employment or educational opportunities by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational, living, or work environment.
  • A sex-based hostile environment is created by unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature or based on a person’s sex that is subjectively and objectively offensive and that is pervasive, persistent, or severe. The College considers a variety of factors related to the severity, persistence, or pervasiveness of the sex-based harassment, including: (1) the type, frequency, and duration of the conduct; (2) the identity and relationships of persons involved; (3) the number of individuals involved; (4) the location of the conduct and the context in which it occurred; and, (5) the degree to which the conduct affected one’s employment or educational opportunities. The more severe the sex-based harassment, the less need there is to show a repetitive series of incidents to find a hostile environment. A single instance of sexual assault may be sufficient to create a hostile environment. Likewise, a series of incidents may be sufficient even if the sex-based harassment is not particularly severe.

The prohibited conduct listed on this website is not exhaustive. The College may consider any other conduct that has a sexual or gender-based connotation under this policy.