Ball State University will not tolerate sexual harassment of students or employees by members of its faculty or staff, its students or by other agents of the university and will respond in a suitable manner to every complaint. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or educational environment. Such conduct will typically be directed against a particular individual or individuals and will either be abusive or severely humiliating or will persist despite the objection of the person targeted by the speech or conduct. Sexual harassment includes but is not limited to situations where one person has authority over another. In such situations, sexual harassment is particularly serious because it may unfairly exploit the power inherent in a faculty member's or supervisor's position.
Sexual harassment can be verbal, visual, physical or communicated in writing or electronically.
The inquiry can be particularly complex in an academic community, where the free and open exchange of ideas and viewpoints preserved by the concept of academic freedom may sometimes prove distasteful, disturbing or offensive to some. Sexual harassment must be distinguished from behavior which, even though unpleasant or disconcerting, is appropriate to the carrying out of instructional, advisory, or supervisory responsibilities. Instructional responsibilities, in particular, require appropriate latitude for pedagogical decisions concerning the topics discussed and methods used to draw students into discussion and full participation. Unwelcome physical contact such as hugging, rubbing, touching, patting, pinching or brushing another's body 3. Requests for private meetings outside of class or business hours for other than legitimate academic or business-related purposes 5.