Chapter 16: Sexual Harassment
The University of California is committed to creating and maintianing a community in which all persons who participate in University programs and activities can work together in an atmosphere free of sexual harassment. Every member of the campus community should be aware that the University is strongly opposed to sexual harassment and that such behavior is prohibited by law and University policy. The University will take appropriate corrective action up to and including disciplinary action to prohibit sexual harassment in any form.
The UCSF Office of Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention & Resolution has the express mission to educate the campus community on prevention and resolution of sexual harassment and to provide timely, neutral, thorough and fair services, handling sexual harassment complaints in accordance with University policy, governing laws and regulations. In addition, the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention & Resolution investigates complaints, coordinates training of campus sexual harassment advisors, and serves as a resource for questions about sexual harassment issues. The Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention & Resolution may be contacted at (415) 476-5186 or by E-mail at .
Questions and Answers
What are some examples of sexual harassment?
- A supervisor makes sexually explicit comments and propositions the employee.
- A female custodian is subjected to derogatory and vicious jokes, pornographic and demeaning cartoons, and naked photos with her name written on them, posted in public view.
- A supervisor offers an employee a better job, extra help, or reclassification in return for sexual attention or threatens to take adverse action for refusing.
- A coworker repeatedly asks an employee out on a date and makes sexually suggestive comments to the employee.
What happens to employees found to subject coworkers to sexual harassment?
It depends on the seriousness of the incident, the totality of the circumstances and the employee's history of employment. The appropriate corrective action may range from a verbal warning to discharge from employment.
What happens when it's one person's word against another's?
A thorough investigation is critical to determining the facts of the case.
Other Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) may be found by going to http://www.ucsf.edu/oshpr/faq/index.html.
Your Role
You have the leadership role in ensuring that employees are aware of what constitutes sexual harassment; that it is prohibited by law and University policy; that sexual harassment in the work environment is recognized and that you act to remove when it occurs. You have the responsibility to participate in the creation of a campus environment free from sexual harassment and in the resolution of complaints within your respective jurisdictions.
Preventing Sexual Harassment
- Monitor the working environment to make sure behavior that may be perceived as sexual harassment is prevented and where it occurrs, is corrected.
- Raise the subject in staff meetings and express strong disapproval.
- Communicate and distribute the campus sexual harassment policy and procedures to all employees.
- Post the official sexual harassment policy and brochure in your department.
- Know and understand what types of behavior may constitute sexual harassment.
- Attend sexual harassment prevention training.
- Maintain an open door policy for staff to discuss potential problems.
When You Receive a Complaint
- Take every complaint seriously, no matter how frivolous it may seem.
- Contact the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Resolution for advice.
- Investigate every complaint immediately and thoroughly.
- Remain objective, professional and avoid making judgments without all the facts.
- Talk to the alleged harasser and anyone who might have witnessed the conduct.
- Keep the process as confidential as possible.
- Inform all parties that retaliation for filing or participating in a complaint is strictly prohibited and should be reported immediately.
- Document every step of the investigation in detail.
- Take appropriate remedial and/or disciplinary action.
- Advise the complaining employee that appropriate action has been taken and that any future incidents should be reported immediately.
Other Resources
| >Department | >Telephone |
| Academic Relations, Lynda Jacobsen, Director, Faculty Relations | 514-0266 |
| Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office/Diversity (AA/EO/D), Michael Adams, Director | 476-4753 |
| Center for Gender Equity, Amy Levine, Director | 476-5837 |
| Faculty/Staff Assistance Program, Yvette Guerrero, Manager | 476-8279 |
| LGBT, Shane Snowden, Coordinator | 502-5593 |
| Office of Student Relations, Eric Koenig, Director | 476-4318 |
| Problem Resolution Center, Ellen Beilock, Campus Mediation Officer | 502-3272 |
| Sexual Harassment Prevention & Resolution, Joyce Hammel, Campus Administrator | 476-5186 |
| Work~Life Resource Center, Alma Sisco-Smith, Director | 502-9600 |
| Medical Center Employees - Medical Center Labor Relations Office | 353-4167 |
| Fresno Campus Employees - Teresa Jacobs, Graduate Medical Education Specialist | 559-459-5799 |
| Fresno Campus Faculty - Joan Voris, Associate Dean, Medical Education Program | 559-243-3601 |
| Dean's Office, School of Dentistry, Deborah Greenspan, Clinical Professor | 476-3080 |
| Dean's Office, School of Medicine, Diane Wara, Associate Dean, Women & Minority Affairs | 476-2865 |
| Dean's Office, School of Nursing, Zina Mirsky, Associate Dean Administration | 476-1223 |
| Dean's Office, School of Pharmacy, Lorie Rice, Associate Dean, Student Academic Affairs | 476-1041 |
| Dean's Office, Graduate Division, Karen Nelson, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies | 502-3224 |
| Labor and Employee Relations, Campus Human Resources | 476-3905 |
Training Resources
Recommended course: "Supervising Within the Law". You can enroll for this and other courses at: http://training.ucsf.edu/.