Sexual Misconduct

A variety of different actions can be considered as sexual misconduct and they are all treated very seriously. Any form of sexual misconduct is a violation of the University’s Standards of Conduct and it is every campus community member’s responsibility to be familiar with those standards. Find out more about the various forms of sexual misconduct by reading below. Also visit the sexual assault support, how to help a friend and sexual assault resources pages.  

Sexual Assault: Physical contact of a sexual nature that is against one’s will or without one’s consent.

Rape: Sexual intercourse that is coerced through force or threats of force, or with someone who is unconscious, or incapable of giving consent.

Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment it refers to verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is unsolicited, unwelcome, and personally offensive. It does not refer to occasional, socially accepted compliments.

Examples of sexual harassment include:

• Repeated offensive sexual flirtations.
• Advances or propositions.
• Repeated verbal comments about someone’s appearance.
• The inappropriate display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures.
• Or any offensive or abusive physical contact.  

Such contact constitutes sexual harassment when:

• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic success.
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions.
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work or educational environment.

Sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape are violations of the University’s Standards of Conduct.