Skip to main content

Resolution 16-02

 

By

Resolution 16-02

Resolution 16-02 concerning Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment
Resolution of the Employee Forum
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
April 6, 2016

WHEREAS, the Mission of the Employee Forum is to address constructively the concerns of the Employees of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including the presentation of staff concerns to University officials and the University General Administration; and

WHEREAS, the month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States, with the goal of raising public awareness about sexual violence and educating communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, UNC employees and students are primary or secondary survivors of sexual violence and sexual harassment; and

WHEREAS, sexual violence is a form of sexual or gender-based harassment that involves having or attempting to have sexual contact with another individual without consent; and

WHEREAS, sexual violence disproportionately affects women, people of color, people with disabilities, and people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI), while also affecting people of all genders, races, abilities, and sexual orientations;

WHEREAS, these forms of violence have a significant impact on our campus climate; and

WHEREAS, the University has a commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment which supports the right of every member of the Carolina community to learn and work in an atmosphere that promotes fairness, equity and access to its employment and educational programs; and

WHEREAS, the Employee Forum has declared by resolution in 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2015 its unequivocal support for the continued development of strong measures to prevent and respond appropriately to incidents of sexual violence on our campus;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Employee Forum of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reaffirms its commitment to a safe and inclusive campus community by pledging to support awareness efforts through annually recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and strongly supporting campus, local, and state efforts to prevent violence in all its forms, to connect survivors of sexual violence with support and resources, and to hold the perpetrators of such acts accountable; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Employee Forum petitions the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office, the Office of Human Resources, offices within Student Affairs, the Department of Public Safety, and University administration to continue to:

  • communicate Sexual Assault Awareness Month events via university-wide coordinated calendar on the safe.unc.edu website; and
  • increase efforts to provide evidence-supported training that focuses on the prevention of harassment, discrimination, and related misconduct, including sexual violence, sexual exploitation, interpersonal violence, and stalking; and
  • encourage training or other initiatives to make the University community a safer and more supportive place for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions for University faculty and staff; and
  • assess the campus climate for students as well as faculty and staff around issues of sexual violence, interpersonal violence, stalking, and sexual harassment;
  • receive victim-centered training to support survivors of sexual violence; and
  • inform victims of their options to notify law enforcement, pursue resolution through the University, and seek counseling or support services in a timely manner; and
  • seek and incorporate community feedback in order to maintain and annually update the University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct and training module;
  • support the imposition of strong and appropriate sanctions for perpetrators of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, interpersonal violence, stalking, discrimination, and harassment;
  • increase communication with the campus community about cases filed, investigated, and adjudicated under the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct, such as through an annual public report http://eoc.unc.edu/resources/office-reports/ ; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Employee Forum of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill requests the Chancellor, her Administration and each and every school and department on this campus to support this resolution.

On behalf of the Delegates of the Employee Forum,

Charles Streeter, Chair

Comments are closed.