Sexual Harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors, and other unwelcome verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
• Quid Pro Quo: a person’s submission to such conduct is implicitly or explicitly made the basis for employment decisions, academic evaluation, grades or advancement, or other decisions affecting participation in a University program; or
• Hostile Environment: such conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it unreasonably denies, adversely limits, or interferes with a person’s participation in or benefit from the education, employment or other programs and services of the University and creates an environment that a reasonable person would find to be intimidating or offensive.
Consideration is given to the totality of the circumstances in which the conduct occurred. Sexual harassment may include incidents:
• between any members of the University community, including faculty and other academic appointees, staff, student employees, students, coaches, residents, interns, and non-student or non-employee participants in University programs (e.g., vendors, contractors, visitors, and patients);
• in hierarchical relationships and between peers; and
• between individuals of any gender or gender identity.
Sexual harassment by faculty may be very overt or very subtle. Under the University of California Faculty Code of Conduct (APM 015) it is unacceptable for a faculty member to enter into a romantic or sexual relationship with any student for whom a faculty member has, or should reasonably expect to have in the future, academic responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory).
Sexual harassment may be verbal, physical, or visual and may include:
• Derogatory, offensive, threatening or intimidating comments, epithets, slurs or jokes;
• References to gender, physical appearance, attire, sexual prowess, marital status, or pregnancy;
• Sexual advances, propositions or demands;
• Displayed or circulated derogatory or offensive posters, cartoons, drawings, photographs, pin-ups, computer images or electronic media transmission;
• Unwelcome or unnecessary and offensive touching such as assault, battery, kissing, hugging, patting, rubbing, groping, pinching, brushing up against;
• Staring, leering, gesturing, whistling, impeding or blocking movement;
• Pressure to spend time with a professor/teaching assistant/staff member/other student outside the academic setting, to get romantically involved or date, or personal questions that make a student feel uncomfortable;
• Asking a student directly for sexual favors in exchange for a better/passing grade, assignment, or a favorable recommendation.
Students who are sexually harassed can be confused, worried, or angry that they don’t know how to handle the situation. They may fear retaliation. Many are worried that they are to blame for the situation.