HARASSMENT

Terra Community College does not and will not tolerate harassment of our employees, applicants for employment or our students on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age or disability.  The college recognizes the impact of harassment on absenteeism, academic grades, productivity and turnover, and recognizes that those who may be harassed may suffer adverse effects. 

All employees, applicants for employment and students are entitled to an environment free from all forms of disrimination and harassment.  This policy demonstrates the college's commitment to addressing these concerns.

Sexual Harassment

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

1. Submission to such conduct is either an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment, or status or academic progress in a course, program or activity; 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 an individual's academic or work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational or work environment.

Examples of sexual harassment include:

• Persistent, unwelcome flirtation, advances, and/or propositions of a sexual nature;
• Repeated insults, humor, jokes and/or anecdotes that belittle or demean an individual's or a group's gender or sexuality;
• Repeated, unwelcome comments of a sexual nature about an individual's body or clothing;
• Unwarranted displays of sexually suggestive objects or pictures that are unappraopriate to the academic context;
• Unnecessary touching, such as patting, pinching, hugging or repeated brushing against an individual's body;
• Suggestions that submission to or rejection of sexual advances will affect decisions regarding such matters as an individual's employment, work assignments or status, salary, academic standing, grades, receipt of financial aid or letters of recommendation.

Consensual Relationships

Consensual relationships between faculty and students or between supervisors and supervisees cause special concern with respect to the existence or appearance of conflicts of interest, exploitation, abuse of position or favoritism.  The existence of a prior consensual relationshiop does not automatically preclude the intitiation of a sexual harassment complaint of a finding of sexual harassment.

Discriminatory Harassment

This type of harassment occurs when derogatory, vulgar or offensive comments are made about a person's race, gender national origin, religion, age or disability or when the distribution of written or graphic material has such effects.  Examples of discriminatory harassment include slurs, jokes or other degrading comments.

Disrespectful Harassment

This type of harassment occurs when threatening, coercive or intimidating behavior is directed toward a person.  Disrespectful harassment also occurs when profane, abusive or threatening laguage is directed toward an individual.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisors are responsible for preventing incidents of harassment by actively discussing the subject, expressing strong disapproval, developing methods for sensitizing employees and taking timely and appropriate corrective action where warranted.  Supervisors who become aware of possible harassment are required to investigate and ensure that the facts are brought to the attention of the college's Coordinator of Human Resources.

Student Responsibilities

All students are responsible for reporting any incidents of possible harassment and for following the complaint procedures set forth below.  Any student may file a complaint with either the Coordinator of Human Resources or any dean.

Harassment Complaints

Terra Community College does not and will not tolerate harassment of our employees, applicants for employment or our students on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national , origin, age or disability.  All employees, applicants for employment and students are entitled to an environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.  Individuals who believe they are being harassed:

1. Should not assume the college is aware of the problem.
2. Should confront the person and request that the conduct cease.
3. Should immediately report the problem to the Coordinator of Human Resources or any of the Deans.

If none of these actions  are desirable, appropriate or possible, the individual may file a written complaint with the Coordinator of Human Resources.

Harassment Investigation Procedures

The college will investigate all complaints in a timely and responsible manner.  All information obtained during an investigation will be kept confidential.  All witnessess and those interviewed during the investigastion are expected to treat the matter as confidential.  Individuals who are part of the investigation are expectd to answer all questions honestly and completely.

Individuals alleged to have committed harassment have the right to be presented with the allegations and the responsibility and the right to respond to the allegations.  Both the accuser and the accused have the right to a prompt and complete investigation of the claim and the right to learn the results of the investigation.

If evidence shows that the harassment charge is true, the employee or student is subject to diciplinary action in the case of employees, and suspension or expulsion in the case of students.

If evidence shows that the harassment charge is false, the employee or student responsible for the false charge is subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal in the case of employees, and suspension or expulsion in the case of students.

Protection from Retaliation

An individual who files a complaint or participates in a harassment investigation will be protected from any form of retaliation that may arise from the investigation.  An individual who covers up the truth or retaliates against a complainant will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal in the case of employees, and suspension or expulsion in the case of students.

Grievances

Students who wish to contest an action or decision by a college employee not covered in the sections above that is alleged to be in violation of a college policy or procedure (for example, reviewing official records or the acceptable use of computer resources) should follow these steps within 90 days of the action or decision:

1. Speak with the employee involved and try to resolve the issue.
2. If the issue cannot be settle satisfactorily with the employee, meet with the employee's supervisor.  The supervisor will initiate a review within five working days and render a judgment in a timely fashion.
3. If after the supervisor has reviewed the situation, the student wishes to have another level or review, the student may appeal to the Dean for Student development.  The Dean will make a timely review of the situation with all involved parties.  At the end of this review, the judgment of the Dean, which will be provided in writing, is final and binding.