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P O L I C I E S, P R O C E D U R E S, A N D
R E G U L A T I O N S
J. Interpretation and Review
1. Any question of interpretation
regarding the Student
Code shall be referred to the
dean of students for final
determination.
2. The Student Code will be
reviewed every three years
under the responsibility of the
dean of students with the input
of an advisory team.
NON-DISCRIMINATORY
POLICY
Lawrence Technological
University adheres and conforms
to all federal, state, and
local civil rights regulations,
statutes and ordinances. No
person, student, faculty, or
staff member will knowingly
be discriminated against relative
to the above statutes.
Lawrence Technological
University is an equal opportunity
employer. Direct inquires
regarding non-discriminatory
policies to:
Office of Student Affairs,
21000 West Ten Mile Rd.,
Southfield, MI 48075-1058,
248.204.4100.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
POLICY
It is the policy of Lawrence
Technological University to
maintain an environment free
of sexual harassment for students,
faculty, staff, or any
other constituency. Sexual
harassment is contrary to the
standards of the University
community. It diminishes individual
dignity and impedes
equal employment, educational
opportunities, and equal access
to freedom of academic
inquiry. It will not be tolerated
at Lawrence Technological
University.
What is Sexual
Harassment? – Harassment
on the basis of sex is a violation
of the Elliott-Larsen Civil
Rights Act; Michigan Civil
Service Commission Rules;
the Office of Federal Contract
Compliance regulations; and
Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964. According to
guidelines issued by the Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission in 1980,
“Unwelcome sexual advances,
requests for sexual favors, and
other verbal or physical conduct
of a sexual nature, even
between people of the same
sex constitutes sexual harassment
when:
1. Submission to such conduct
or communication is made
either explicitly or implicitly a
term or condition of an individual’s
employment, education,
or participation in a
University activity; or
2. Submission to, or rejection
of, such conduct or communication
by an individual is used
as the basis for decisions
affecting an individual’s
employment, education, or
participation in a University
activity; or
3. Such conduct or communication
has the purpose or effect
of unreasonably interfering
with an individual’s work or
educational performance or of
creating an intimidating, hostile,
or offensive employment
or education environment.
4. Sexual harassment can also
exist when there has been no
tangible job detriment (i.e., a
significant change in employment
status, such as hiring, fir-
ing, etc.). Courteous, respectful,
pleasant, non-coercive
mutual interactions between
employees are not considered
sexual harassment.
5. Personal (i.e., intimate) relationships
that occur between
persons who are in a supervisory
- subordinate work relationship
must be reported to
the next level of management.
In such situations, the department
will take appropriate
action.” 1
Although these guidelines,
based on Title VII, apply
specifically to sexual harassment
in the workplace, they
should be interpreted to apply
to students as well under Title
IX of the 1972 Education
Amendments. As has been
pointed out by the National
Advisory Council on Women’s
Educational Programs
(NACWEP), there is a serious
problem “... of harassment by
gatekeepers — those who
teach required courses or who
have the authority to make
critical decisions about a student’s
advancement. The
extraordinary importance of
such positions lends an exceptional
degree of significance to
every interaction with students,
and makes sexual
harassment of all types particularly
harmful.”
Common Types of
Harassment – The NACWEP
describes five classifications of
harassment commonly reported
by students and working
women.
1. Generalized sexist remarks
or behavior (e.g., “This is a
man’s job.” “That’s women’s
work.” “Women/men are
incompetent at/are better suit-
ed to...”). Leering or staring,
crude sexual remarks, offcolor
jokes, suggestive stories,
and other related behaviors are
also grouped in this category.
“This type of behavior is
close to racial harassment in
appearance; the sentiments or
actions involved are often
fiercely anti-male or antifemale
and are not intended to
lead to sexual activity. They
are directed to the (individual)
because of gender and can
often affect whole classrooms;
the offense may be ‘generalized’
both by its nature and its
audience. There can be an
inherent sexual content in or
underlying such remarks that
establishes a tone which in its
awkwardness is more damaging
than many overt acts.” 2
2. Inappropriate and offensive
sexual advances (e.g., requests
for social or sexual encounters,
often accompanied by,
touching).
This type of harassment,
while not necessarily threatening,
usually makes the recipient
uncomfortable. This discomfort
may cause the recipient
to avoid the perpetrator in
the future, thus limiting his or
her ability to function properly
in the academic environment.
Discomfort caused by harassment
behavior will almost certainly
affect future professional
and personal relationships.
3. Solicitation of sexual activity
or other sex-related behavior
by promise of rewards
(e.g., grades, promotions,
promises of greater opportunities,
etc.).
“This category, in its
extreme, literally amounts to
an attempt to purchase sexual
behavior. In its more blatant
forms this type of behavior can
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