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The University of Calgary recognizes its moral and legal responsibilities to protect its students, staff and Faculty against sexual harassment and has established a Sexual Harassment Policy and related procedures to deal with this serious issue.

The simple definition of sexual harassment is “unwanted sexual attention.” Any type of conduct that emphasizes the sexuality, gender or sexual orientation of an individual and creates for them an offensive, intimidating or hostile learning, working or living environment is sexual harassment. The harassment is more serious if submission to or acceptance of such behaviours is made either an implicit or explicit condition of an individual’s employment or academic status.

Sexual harassment may take various forms. It includes but is not limited to the following: verbal abuse or threats of a sexual nature; unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendos or taunting about a person’s sex (often linked with references to the body, attire, age or marital status of the individual); the display of pornographic, sexually offensive or derogatory pictures; unnecessary and unwelcome physical conduct such as touching, patting, pinching; unwelcome sexual invitations or requests, usually of a persistent nature; sexual assault. Gender harassment or sexism may also be one form of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment has both males and females as its victims and perpetrators. It can occur between members of the opposite sex or of the same sex. Although sexual harassment often occurs where there is a real or perceived power imbalance, it can also occur amongst peers.

Individuals with a concern regarding a possible occurrence of sexual harassment have the following mutually non-exclusive alternatives to assist them: (a) If possible, immediate personal strategies should be utilized such as informing the alleged harasser (either in person or by letter) that such behaviour is offensive and requesting an end to the perceived harassment. Frequently, this assertive stance curtails further incidents. (b) If this is not possible or productive, someone who is empowered to investigate allegations of sexual harassment should be contacted: the Sexual Harassment Advisor at 403.220.4086 or the appropriate Dean or administrative equivalent who supervises the alleged harasser. In cases where physical assault has occurred, the complaint may also be lodged with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA) at 403.237.5888 or the Calgary Police at 403.266.1234. Whatever routes are taken, every effort should be made to document precisely what has transpired.

Complaints of sexual harassment do not have to enter a formal investigative and disciplinary procedure simply because an individual has chosen to speak to the Sexual Harassment Advisor. Individuals are free to simply make a report of the incident to the Advisor. These reports are useful for statistical purposes and assist in directing educational initiatives. Individuals wishing to pursue the matter can file a written complaint with the Advisor who will then attempt to affect an “informal resolution” to the problem. Informal resolutions usually involve the Advisor consulting with the two parties either individually or together. The end result must be satisfactory to all parties. If an informal resolution fails or is inappropriate, a formal hearing may be held on any written complaint of sexual harassment where there is no other negotiated or legislated procedure to pursue a complaint against the alleged offender.

Due to the nature of the issue of sexual harassment, the policy and procedures are regularly revised and updated. Persons seeking information on this issue are therefore encouraged to contact the Sexual Harassment Advisor to obtain a copy of the latest official document. The Advisor is located on the second floor of the Math Sciences Building, Room 263 and may be reached by telephone at 403.220.4086.

Additional information is available on the web at http://www.ucalgary.ca/sexualharassment/.