Policies: Student Rights: Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is not acceptable behavior on the College campus or at College-sponsored events off the campus. Any violation by students or college employees may result in disciplinary action. Alpena Community College forbids retaliating against anyone who reports sexual harassment, who assists in making a sexual harassment complaint, or anyone who cooperates in a sexual harassment investigation.

Definition of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined in the Michigan Civil Rights Act as follows:
"...Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct or communications of a sexual nature" when:

1. Submission to such conduct or communication is made a term or condition either explicitly or implicitly to obtain employment, public accommodations or public services, education, or housing.
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct or communication by an individual is used as a factor in decisions affecting such individual's employment, public accommodations or public services, education or housing.
3. Such conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's employment, public accommodations or public services, education or housing, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment, public accommodations, public services, education, or housing environment.

For the purpose of the above regulation, the College interprets unwelcome to mean:

1. Conduct or communication which a reasonable person in a similar circumstance would consider unwelcome.
2. Conduct or communication which continues after notice is given that the conduct or communication is unwelcome.

Procedure for Reporting Sexual Harassment
Any student or college employee who feels that they have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment should immediately notify either Carolyn Thomas, Director of Human Resources, or Max Lindsay, Dean of Student Affairs.

Procedure for Reporting Sexual Assault
Any incident of sexual assault should be reported immediately to either Carolyn Thomas, Director of Human Resources, or Max Lindsay, Dean of Student Affairs. The following procedures will then be followed:

1. The College representative will take a statement from the alleged victim and file an incident report.
2. The accuser will be advised of the necessity to preserve all evidence including the possibility of a medical examination.
3. The institution will refer the alleged victim of any sexual assault to community agencies who provide personal counseling and support services.
4. The accuser will be advised of his/her right to notify the proper law enforcement authorities. The College staff will encourage the alleged victim to report any incident to the appropriate law enforcement agency. The College will cooperate with law enforcement authorities in the investigation of any reported sexual assault.
5. Student judiciary bylaws and procedures will be followed in all cases involving sexual assault, including notification to both the accuser and the accused of the outcome of the judicial hearing. The College will assist the alleged victim of sexual assault in accommodations such as an alternative class schedule or housing. Students found guilty of rape, acquaintance rape or other sex offenses (forcible or non-forcible) will be dismissed from the College.