Albright College believes that its students, faculty and staff living and working in the College community should be free from sexual harassment. The College believes sexual harassment is unlawful and contrary to the best interests of the College, its students and its employees.
It is the policy of Albright College to provide a learning community and workplace or campus/community free of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct or communications deemed to constitute sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is considered a very serious matter and is prohibited in the workplace by any person and in any form. It is the responsibility of all students, faculty and staff to ensure compliance with this policy. Any student, faculty, staff or person who has a workplace or campus/community sexual harassment complaint shall report the matter to a student personnel official, supervisor or directly to the Director of Human Resources.
Sexual harassment is any form of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. These actions shall constitute harassment when (1) submission of such conduct is made either implicitly or explicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, enrollment, or academic standing; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for employment, academic standing, retention decisions affecting such individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic/co-curricular performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work/college environment. The College prohibits such conduct as sexual innuendoes, sexually derogatory remarks, physical touching or graphic displays of sexually-oriented materials.
Sexual harassment of any Albright College employee or student in the workplace or campus/community by any employee or other person, either directly or indirectly, is not tolerated and is prohibited. No student, faculty or staff shall be threatened or made to feel threatened, either explicitly or implicitly, by sexual harassment nor by the reporting of sexual harassment.
A student, faculty or staff refusal to submit to unwelcome sexual advances or conduct or the reporting of such advances will not adversely affect the employee's or student's performance, evaluation, wages, advancements, academic standing or retention, career development or any other condition of employment.
Sexual harassment in the workplace or campus/community is strictly prohibited. This includes, but it is not limited to, unwelcome and offensive sexual flirtations, unwelcome advances or propositions, verbal abuse of a sexual nature, offensive displays in the workplace or campus/community of sexually suggested objects or materials, and any other activity that could be interpreted as creating a sexually hostile work or campus/community environment.
Any student, faculty or staff who believes that he or she has been sexually harassed should report the act immediately to the employee's supervisor or student personnel official or to the Director of Human Resources who serves as the affirmative action officer. The complaint will be investigated and the student, faculty or staff member will be advised of the findings and conclusions. While there are no express time limits for initiating complaints, every effort should be made to file a complaint as soon as possible. Once a complaint is made, the College will conduct an investigation and take appropriate actions as indicated by the findings of the investigation. The complaining individual may file an informal complaint which involves a meeting to discuss the alleged incidents or a formal complaint which includes a written statement by the complaining individual.
All complaints will be promptly investigated. To the extent possible, confidentiality and privacy will be respected in handling such harassment complaints. The affirmative action officer will be responsible for overseeing the investigation and maintaining the documents of the investigation and ensuring the appropriate action is taken.
There will be no discrimination or retaliation against any student, faculty or staff for making a sexual harassment complaint.
Any student, faculty, staff or person who is found to have engaged in sexual harassment will be subject to appropriate corrective or disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination, suspension or expulsion.
This policy applies to students, faculty, staff and non-employees who come into contact with College students and employees. Any sexual harassment by a non-employee such as a vendor or contractor shall be reported immediately to the employee's immediate supervisor or to the Affirmative Action Officer.
The Sexual Harassment Policy requires action and confidential record keeping as a means of protecting the entire Albright College community of faculty, administrators, staff and students. Immediate and, if necessary, corrective action shall be taken on all complaints of sexual harassment. Members of the Albright College community should encourage individuals who experience sexual harassment to come forward. In addressing complaints of sexual harassment, the individual should speak directly to the harasser identifying the incident and what was objectionable and state the remedy sought. Or the individual can write to the harasser identifying the incident and what was objectionable and state the remedy sought. On the assumption that the remedy sought is to have the action cease, this could end the matter.
Failing that, or alternatively, the individual should report the incident directly to one of the following individuals who are responsible for helping resolve the problem either informally or formally:
(a) If the individual is a student, he/she should report the incident to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.
(b) If the individual is faculty, administrator or support staff, he/she should report the incident to this/her immediate supervisor.
(c) If the individual is not comfortable reporting the incident to his/her supervisor or wants to take it further, then he/she should report the incident to the Affirmative Action Officer who also serves as the Director of Human Resources.
The individual should keep records documenting all incidents and conversations that involve sexual harassment including the date, time, place and witnesses, if available.
After informal or formal intervention is complete and there is evidence of inappropriate actions that violate the College Sexual Harassment Policy, disciplinary action against the harasser may follow. Disciplinary action should be commensurate with the scope and severity of the occurrence. Effort will be made to provide appropriate relief in the form of sanctions that may include: reprimand, warning, probation, suspension, demotion, expulsion or termination.
All employees and students should be aware that the College is prepared to take action to prevent and remedy such behavior and that individuals who engage in such behavior are subject to disciplinary action. Appeals with regard to this process should be made to the President.
