1) The University occupies a special place in society as an intellectual community with a responsibility for the discovery and sharing of knowledge. This aspiration demands a commitment to an atmosphere of reciprocal respect among all members of the university community. Sexual harassment potentially undermines the full and free participation of all members of the community by negatively impacting on an individual’s employment conditions or academic status or performance or by creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment.
Dalhousie University does not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind. Indeed, the University regards sexual harassment as unacceptable behaviour that is subject to a wide range of disciplinary measures, including dismissal or expulsion from the University.
All members of the University community have a responsibility to ensure that the University’s working and learning environment is free from sexual harassment. Administrative Heads, as defined in section 27 of this policy, bear the primary responsibility for encouraging and maintaining a working and learning environment free from sexual harassment. They are free to act, and should act, on this responsibility, whether or not they are in receipt of individual complaints. It is the obligation of Administrative Heads to be familiar with this policy and, where appropriate, to undertake training, in order to ensure that they are able to fulfill these responsibilities.
2) The purposes of this policy are:
(a) to be educational, in that its existence will increase awareness of and sensitivity to the negative impact of sexual harassment;
(b) to prevent sexual harassment by indicating the seriousness with which Dalhousie University views this issue;
(c) to provide fair procedures for handling complaints when they do occur.