Sexual Harassment Policy

26. Sexual Harassment Policy

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to providing students, faculty, and staff with an environment in which they may pursue their studies or careers without being sexually harassed. Sexual harassment, as here defined, is a violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. For purposes of this policy, it is defined as follows:

Unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:

1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic work; or

2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individual; or

3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment.

The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office will be responsible for administering this policy and its procedures. Further information and the complete text of the policy are available from the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office, the Ombuds Office and the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School.