Harassment and Discrimination Grievance Procedure

This process is intended for any student who believes that he or she has been assaulted, harassed or discriminated against by any member of the College community where the allegations do not involve sexual misconduct. Allegations of sexual misconduct are addressed in a separate policy.

Any student that believes that he or she has been assaulted, harassed or discriminated against should promptly notify the dean of students, the associate dean of students, or any area coordinator. If the complaint relates to conduct by a staff member of the department of student life, a student may notify the executive vice president. Once notified, the department of student life (or the executive vice president, as the case may be) will help the student resolve the complaint informally, if appropriate, or will support the student in pursuing a more formal response.

If the complaint relates to conduct by another student, the department of student life will handle the complaint in one of the following ways. Minor complaints will be handled by the department of student life, which will investigate the complaint and determine the appropriate disciplinary action. Serious complaints will be referred to the Judicial Hearing Board, provided, however, that the administration reserves the right to act without Judicial Hearing Board action in cases where the conduct giving rise to the complaint is egregious and not reasonably disputed. Disciplinary action imposed may include a requirement not to repeat or continue the offending conduct, separation of the parties, attendance at relevant education programs, reprimand, reassignment, probation, suspension or expulsion from the College.

If the complaint relates to conduct by an employee of the College, the dean of students (or the executive vice president, as the case may be), or her or his designee, will investigate the complaint and determine appropriate disciplinary action. The action will be communicated to the student who brought the complaint and the person whose alleged conduct gave rise to the complaint. It is anticipated that in most cases this communication will occur within 25 days of the date of the complaint. Disciplinary action imposed under this paragraph may include a requirement not to repeat or continue the offending conduct, separation of the parties, attendance at relevant education programs, reprimand, reassignment, denial of pay increase, demotion, suspension  or termination of employment with the College.

While complaints do not have to be in writing, written complaints are preferred.

If the student bringing the complaint chooses, he or she may participate in a less adversarial process whereby the student and the person whose alleged conduct gave rise to the complaint mediate the complaint with the support of appropriate College staff. A student wishing to mediate his or her complaint should indicate this when bringing the complaint.

While all complaints are handled discreetly and on a "need-to-know" basis, the student bringing a complaint should understand that the College cannot guarantee total confidentiality in the investigative process. College action and legal action (criminal or civil) are not mutually exclusive. Students may pursue all remedies available to them.

Counseling and Support Resources