George Mason University is a publicly funded institution of higher education in Northern Virginia committed to providing the finest education possible for our students and the most productive environment possible for faculty and staff. GMU is committed to creating an environment where students, faculty and staff can live, work, and explore new and old ideas and knowledge freely and without fear. Integral to this effort are the relationships between faculty and our students. Anything which erodes the respect and confidence that GMU students and staff have in our university is a serious problem for the university. Sexual harassment is one such problem and it can destroy a university's effort to create and maintain the sort of environment that is so necessary for learning and scholarship to occur.
Sexual Harassment is a form of misconduct which fundamentally comprises the integrity of human relationships, affects morale and performance, and threatens an individual's sense of security and well being. George Mason University is committed to creating and maintaining a harassment free environment. This policy and procedure attempts to assist in the creation of such an environment at George Mason University, as well as assist individuals who believe that they have been subjected to sexual harassment in contradiction to the University's policies.
The office of the Vice President and the University Equity Officer (a.k.a. Equity Office) is specifically charged to assist in the investigation and resolution of allegations of discrimination and harassment including sexual harassment. Further, the office exists, in part, to ensure that members of the campus community understand their responsibility to create and maintain an environment free from discriminatory actions and behaviors.
Sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and will not be condoned in any form at George Mason University. This policy is part of the university's effort to maintain a learning and work environment free from sexual harassment. While this problem can seriously affect all members of an educational community, sexual harassment can be particularly devastating to our student population. A sexual harassment experience can affect a student's emotional well-being, impair academic progress, and even inhibit the attainment of career goals. This problem can likewise affect employees and applicants for both employment or admission to the university in the same manner. Therefore, George Mason University must move to eliminate this problem from our community.
It is generally agreed that what constitutes and defines sexual harassment can vary under particular circumstances and events. Nevertheless, using the definitions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the university defines sexual harassment as follows:
"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute harassment when (1) submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's academic performance or employment; (2)submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for decisions about academic evaluation, employment, promotion, transfer, selection for training, performance evaluation, or selection for academic awards or benefits etc; (3)such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational or work environment, or substantially interferes with a student's academic or an employee's work performance."
While the definition quoted above reflects the historical fact that the majority of sexual harassment complaints involve a male harasser and a female victim, the definition applies equally to female harassers and male victims, as well as same-sex harassment as described by the U.S. Office for Civil Rights.
"Sexual harassment consists of verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature imposed on the basis of sex by an employee or an agent of a recipient for Federal funding that denies, limits, provides different, or conditions the provisions of aid, benefits, services or treatment protected under Title IX. Generally, harassment at its extreme occurs when a person, in a position to control, influence, or effect another individual's education, grades, job, or career, uses their authority and power to coerce an individual into sexual relations, or to punish that individual for refusing sexual relations."
For example, sexual harassment may include: Demands for sexual favors, accompanied by implied or overt threats concerning one's job, grade, letter of recommendation; subtle pressure for sexual activity; unwelcome physical contact; sexual comments and inuendos; visual displays of degrading sexual images; up to and including physical assault and rape. As these examples indicate, sexual harassment can be very damaging to an individual and to an organization.
As this policy demonstrates, George Mason University is committed to eliminating Sexual Harassment from the campus while ensuring basic protection for all parties. The procedure for complaints of sexual harassment exists to implement this basic commitment and replace all previous policies and procedures. An outline of the entire procedure is available through Gopher on the e-mail under "University...Information, Services, Events, etc."