The Office of Equity & Inclusion is excited to announce the revised Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment (PADH), formerly Policy 106.

In November 2020, President Sarah C. Mangelsdorf charged the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Office of Human Resources, and the Office of Counsel to revise the University’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment (PADH). These offices collaborated with stakeholders across the University through weekly meetings of a small writing group and regular meetings of a larger advisory group comprised of students, faculty, and staff across all units. These stakeholders considered whether and how to reconcile the differing standards for hostile work environment harassment that applies to employees, whether to continue permitting complainants and witnesses to remain anonymous throughout the investigation, and whether to create a new decision-making process consisting of a panel of neutral decision-makers.

The Senior Leadership Group, Dean’s Council, and Faculty Senate reviewed a draft of the revised PADH. The Executive Board of Trustees approved the revised PADH on November 18, 2021.

The revised PADH combines components of the University’s former discrimination complaint and response policy and the student sexual and gender-based harassment and violence complaint.

The revised PADH consolidates employee reporting obligations, captures recent changes to Title IX, and more expressly prohibits retaliation against those who file. Also, PADH relies on a panel to determine responsibility for alleged violations rather than a single decision-maker. The revised policy also changed the standard for a hostile environment and harassment for students, providing greater protection for students and creating equity among students and employees.

The revised PADH is built on transparency, accountability, and the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It ensures that all university staff, faculty, and students can work and learn in an environment free from unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. “The revised Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe, respectful, and welcoming climate,” Mangelsdorf said. “It is a prime example of how we are setting the highest standards for the entire University community so that Rochester is a place where we all can thrive.”

The new policy will officially go into effect on January 1, 2022. For more information, please contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Members of the University community are encouraged to report discrimination and harassment based on a protected class and retaliation based on a prior complaint of discrimination or harassment. Members of the University community who feel that they have experienced behavior that violates the PADH, and those who witness or become aware of concerning conduct, should file a report using the online PADH report form.