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 Return to: Introduction
As a Catholic institution of higher learning, Providence College is committed to maintaining an environment in which all students, staff, and faculty are treated with dignity and respect as created in the image and likeness of God. Discriminatory harassment is unwelcome conduct that unreasonably interferes with a person’s ability to work or learn because it creates an intimidating or hostile environment for individuals or groups based on their status; i.e., the conduct is accompanied by demeaning expressions concerning the race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, or veteran status of the victim(s). It can include unwelcome verbal, written, graphic, and/or physical conduct directed at one or more members of a targeted group, such as epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, and threatened or actual physical assault or harm. The College’s anti-harassment policy applies to all students, faculty and staff in both on and off-campus College-sponsored programs and activities. The College does not tolerate such misconduct and anyone who engages in this behavior may be subject to disciplinary procedures. Sexual harassment and sexual violence are types of illegal sex discrimination. Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature, or gender-based, that is severe or pervasive, and that creates a hostile or abusive learning, working or living environment, thereby unreasonably interfering with a person’s ability to learn or work. This type of behavior may occur between or among peers, and may be directed to persons of the opposite or same sex as that of the harasser.
It is not possible to list all circumstances that might constitute sexual harassment. Examples include: unwelcome sexual innuendo, comments and sexual teasing; visual display or transmission of degrading sexual images; the hostile use of sexually derogatory terms, jokes, and graffiti; intrusive sexually explicit questions or story-telling; spreading sexual rumors or rating others as to sexual activity or performance; stalking; sexual extortion; and attempted or actual sexual assault or violence. (Also, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct or Relationship Violence Policy.)
The higher-education academic, educational, and research settings necessarily accommodate themes, topics, and material that are germane to the subject matter and that, in others settings, may not be appropriate. Policies forbidding harassment do not threaten such academic freedoms. All harassment inquiries and complaints are taken seriously and handled in a confidential manner. Retaliatory behavior is prohibited. A copy of the Anti-Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures, including a list of resources and Title IX coordinators, is available in the Student Handbook and on the Human Resources Web site.
Sexual Misconduct or Relationship Violence Policy
Sexual misconduct is one of the most serious violations of the College’s standards of conduct and some forms of sexual misconduct also are violations of criminal law.
The College’s Policy is available at http://www.providence.edu/general-counsel/Documents/sexual-misconduct-policy.pdf. The policy includes information about reporting options, confidentiality, definitions, the grievance resolution process, and resources.
Bias Incident or Hate Crime: Bias Response Protocol
The College’s Bias Response Protocol (BRP) allows the College to develop timely, collaborative responses to bias-related incidents, providing support to both alleged victims and alleged perpetrators of bias-incidents, and promoting a climate of respect and a positive sense of community. The BRP, including information about how to make a report and College resources, is at http://www.providence.edu/institutional-diversity/Documents/bias-response-protocol.pdf. For more information, please visit the Web site of the Office of Institutional Diversity.
A bias incident is an act directed against a person, group, or property, expressing hostility or bias on the basis of perceived or actual gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, or veteran status. Bias incidents may consist of verbal, written, graphic, and/or physical conduct such as epithets, jokes, graffiti, negative stereotyping, and threatened or actual physical assault. A bias incident may rise to the level of a hate crime as defined by state and federal law.
Please keep in mind that simply because the expression of an idea or point of view may be offensive or inflammatory to some, it is not necessarily a bias-related incident. Providence College values freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas, and hopes that an effective protocol will contribute to an environment that encourages dialogue around challenging issues.
Rhode Island Law defines the term “hate crime” as any crime motivated by bigotry and bias, including, but not limited to, threatened, attempted, or completed acts that appear after investigation to have been motivated by racial, religious, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or disability prejudice, or motivated by prejudice against a person who is homeless or is perceived to be homeless (§ 42-28-46).
Return to: Introduction
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