The university prohibits harassment based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, or veteran status. Harassment is a form of discrimination that violates state and federal civil rights laws. It is defined for purposes of those laws and the university's policy as any behavior that:

1. is unwelcome,

2. targets a person because of one or more protected characteristics,

3. is engaged in by a person employed by or doing business with the university, and

4. is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter negatively that person's or a group member's living, educational, or working environment.

Sexual harassment can take the form of unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favors; or other unwelcome written, verbal, electronic, telephonic, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Hostile environment harassment on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, disability, or marital or veteran status is severe or persistent behavior that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a person's work or academic performance or creating a hostile environment.

If you think you have been harassed on the basis of any of the protected categories listed above, have observed harassing behavior, or need more information, you are encouraged to contact Jayne M. Grandes, Director of the Office of Employment Equity, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 57 Highway 1, Cook Campus, 732-932-3020, ext. 4030, or by email at oee@hr.rutgers.edu. You may obtain copies of the Policy Prohibiting Harassment and the Harassment Complaint Process on the web at http://uhr.rutgers.edu/equity.