Faculty Roles and Responsibilities Discrimination/Sexual Harassment/Sexual Assault Responsibility to Report As a faculty member, you have the responsibility and are required to report any incident that may constitute unlawful discrimination, sexual harassment or sexual assault. You cannot keep any information of this nature confidential if it relates to a member of our campus community. You must report any information of this nature immediately to either Joyce Suzuki, Managing Director, Employee Relations and Compliance, or Melinda Barnard, AVP for Faculty Affairs. This is done in order to provide a consistent, compassionate campus-wide mechanism for victim assistance. You should not take any action on your own based on the information you receive. You cannot refuse to provide the information related to discrimination/sexual harassment/sexual assault if you are asked about it. If there is a concern for the individual’s safety you should immediately report it to our campus Police. University’s Discrimination Policy The University’s Discrimination Policy includes protections and processes for victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault. In section IID of the policy it states: Faculty responsibilities include: conducting themselves in the classroom, on the campus, or at any University-sponsored off-campus activity (including travel) in a manner that ensures that their actions do not discriminate against and/or harass any other individual; ensuring the classroom is free from discrimination and/or harassment; immediately responding to and reporting allegations of discrimination/sexual harassment to the Managing Director of Employee Relations and Compliance (or other designee in the Employee Relations and Compliance Office); cooperating in, and honoring the confidentiality of, fact-finding and/or complaint investigations. Faculty also need to be aware of the guidelines regarding romantic relationships with students. In section IV of the policy it states: A SPECIAL NOTE TO FACULTY, TEACHING ASSISTANTS, SUPERVISORS AND OTHER PERSONS IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY Romantic relationships that might be appropriate in other circumstances may be inappropriate when they occur between a faculty member and/or supervisor of the University and a student or employee with whom that person has a professional relationship (e.g., professor-student, supervisor-employee). Students depend on professors for grades, recommendations, job referrals, and opportunities for teaching and research. Graduate students rely on professors for opportunities to attend special seminars and conferences, to co-author research papers, and for introduction to colleagues. Employees rely upon their supervisors for promotions, raises, upward mobility, job assignments, overtime, access to equipment, and office location. Because of the difference in authority and power between professors and students, and supervisors and employees, a professor or supervisor cannot be certain that the relationship is truly welcome or consensual. With an academic or employment career at stake, a student or employee may find it difficult and threatening to refuse a request from his/her professor or supervisor, no matter how casual the request. Such relationships may also be inappropriate because they may create a negative or uncomfortable working or learning environment for others who perceive preferential treatment. When a so-called "mutual" relationship deteriorates, some students may drop courses, change majors, transfer to other schools, or even discontinue their education. Some employees may quit jobs or have their careers ruined. If a student or employee tries to use sex to improve academic or employment standing, it is the professor or supervisor's responsibility to discourage and refuse such overtures and to maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times. Contact Information Joyce Suzuki, Managing Director, Employee Relations and Compliance Email address: Joyce.suzuki@sonoma.edu Office phone: 664-4470 Office location: Salazar, second floor, Administration and Finance Suite Melinda Barnard, AVP for Faculty Affairs/Chief Research Officer Email address: melinda.barnard@sonoma.edu Office phone: 664-3236 Office location: Stevenson 1041