Skip to main content

Resolution 15-01

 

By

Resolution 15-01

Resolution 15-01 concerning Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment
Resolution of the Employee Forum
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Approved March 4, 2015

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 assault or 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 assault cases largely affect women, people of color, people with disabilities, and people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI), while a significant amount (10%)1 affect men; and

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, and 2013 its unequivocal support for the continued development of strong measures to prevent and respond appropriately to incidents of sexual violence on our campus;

WHEREAS, the Employee Forum recognizes and appreciates the implementation of mandatory training for all faculty, staff and students on Title IX and the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct;

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:

  • increase efforts to provide training that focuses on the prevention of harassment, discrimination, and related misconduct, including sexual violence, sexual exploitation, interpersonal violence, and stalking
  • receive the proper training to support survivors of sexual assault; and
  • inform victims of their options to notify law enforcement, pursue resolution through the University, and seek counseling or support services; and
  • maintain and annually update the University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct and training module based on evaluation on the effectiveness of the policy and training module; and
  • support the imposition of strong and appropriate sanctions for perpetrators of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, interpersonal violence, stalking, discrimination, and harassment
  • encourage Safe Zone3 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

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

________________________

[1] http://www.rainn.org/statistics

2 Helping to Advocate Violence Ending Now (HAVEN) http://safe.unc.edu/get-involved/haven-training/

3 https://lgbtq.unc.edu/programs-services/safe-zone

Comments are closed.