Any faculty member, administrator, staff member or student who feels that he or she has been harassed should, if s/he feels comfortable, attempt to resolve the situation through a discussion with the other party. If one does not feel comfortable discussing the situation immediately, s/he may consult on an informal basis with the Director of Human of Resources or, in the case of a law student, the Law School Dean of Students.

Formal Complaint Procedures

A. Where to file a Complaint?

If the person alleged to be responsible for the harassment is:

1) A Faculty Member - File with the Dean of the appropriate school

2) An Administrator or Staff Member - File with the Director of Human Resources

3) A Student, a Work-study Student or a Graduate Assistant - File with the Dean of Students of the appropriate school

B. What Should Be Filed?

The complaint should be in writing, should summarize the alleged harassment, should identify the person allegedly responsible for the harassment and should describe the resolution sought.

C. When Should the Complaint Be Filed?

The complaint should be filed within 90 days of the occurrence of the incident.

D. How Will the Complaint Be Processed?

1) If the person alleged to be responsible for the harassment is a student, the Dean of Students or his/her designee will investigate the allegation.

2) If the person alleged to be responsible for harassment is a faculty member, the Dean or his/her designee will investigate the allegation.

3) If the person alleged to be responsible for harassment is an administrator or staff member, the Director of Human Resources or his/her designee will investigate the allegation.

The allegation will be promptly investigated in a fair and expeditious manner. The investigation will be conducted in such a way as to maintain confidentiality to the extent possible under the circumstances. The investigation will include a private interview with the person filing the complaint and, if appropriate, with witnesses. The person alleged to have committed the sexual harassment will also be interviewed. When the investigation is completed, to the extent appropriate, the person filing the complaint and the person alleged to have committed the conduct will be informed of the results of the investigation.

If it is determined that inappropriate conduct has been committed, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Such action may range from counseling to termination of employment or expulsion and may include warning or probation.

E. Note:

After completion of the investigation, any party who is dissatisfied with the outcome may utilize the grievance procedure as outlined in the suitable faculty handbook or staff personnel policy manual. If all parties agree, the complaint and investigation process outlined here may substitute for the initial reviews of the grievance procedure.

The telephone extensions for the people with whom a complaint may be filed are:

Title	Extension	Room
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences	8265	D - 1 st
Dean, Sawyer Business School	8300	STL - 12 th
Dean, Law School	8155	SGT - 4 th
Dean of Students, College	8239	STL - 12 th
Dean of Students, Law	8157	SGT - 4 th
Director of Human Resources	8419	STL - 5 th

State and Federal Employment Discrimination Enforcement Agencies

In addition to the above, an employee or student who believes that s/he has been subjected to sexual harassment may file a formal complaint with either or both of the government agencies set forth below. Using the University’s complaint process does not prohibit you from filing a complaint with these agencies. Each of the agencies has a short time period for filing a claim (EEOC – 300 days; MCAD – 300 days).

1. United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

JFK Federal Building, Room 475
Government Center
Boston, MA 02203
617-565-3200 or 800-669-4000

2. Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)

Boston Office:
1 Ashburton Place, Rm. 601
Boston, MA 02108
617-727-3990

Springfield Office:
436 Dwight Street, Rm. 220
Springfield, MA 01103
413-739-2145

* Notice: The Law School policies relating to Sexual Harassment and Other Forms of Unlawful Harassment and the Sexual Harassment Complaint and Resolution Procedures are currently under review. Accordingly, updates to these policies may be forthcoming during the academic year. Please visit the Dean of Students Office page on the Law School’s web site for the most current policies.