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