SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

Eastern Mennonite University (EMU or the University) is committed to establishing and maintaining a community rich in equality and free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. Sexual harassment, relationship violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct are prohibited at EMU. The University will take prompt and equitable action to eliminate sexual harassment, relationship violence, and other sexual misconduct and prevent its recurrence. When the conduct has a propensity to create a hostile, manipulative, or coercive environment on campus, the University obligates itself to respond in support of all parties involved, the campus community, and others who have been impacted. The University strives to achieve this by ensuring the safety of those who have been harmed and holding accountable those who have done harm, consistent with its mission, values, and Life Together commitment.   

The purpose of this Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Policy is to define sexual harassment, relationship violence, and sexual misconduct, describe the process for reporting alleged violations of this policy, outline the procedures used to investigate and resolve alleged policy violations, and identify the resources available to members of the EMU community who are involved in such reports.

In order to establish and maintain a campus community that values the dignity of all, this policy and resolution procedure commits the University to:

  1. Identify the forms of sexual harassment, relationship violence and sexual misconduct that violate this policy;
  2. Disseminate clear policies and procedures for responding to sexual harassment, relationship violence, sexual misconduct, and other forms of conduct prohibited under this policy that are reported to the University;
  3. Develop an ongoing coordinated effort for delivering prevention and awareness programs and ongoing training and education programs (see Appendix D: Training and Prevention Education).  This will be done so that students, faculty, and staff:
    1. May identify what behavior constitutes sexual harassment, relationship violence, and sexual misconduct; and
    2. Understand how to report such misconduct;
  4. Engage in investigative inquiry and resolution of reports in a reliable, impartial, prompt, and equitable way;
  5. Support those who have been harmed and hold persons accountable for established violations of this policy; and
  6. Provide a written explanation of the rights and options for the process, supportive measures, process accommodations, and confidential services and community resources available to every student or employee that has experienced sexual harassment, relationship violence and/or sexual misconduct, regardless of when or where the conduct occurred (Appendix B and Appendix C).


In addition, this policy: 

  1. Identifies and describes the various roles of the University’s Title IX Coordinator, deputy Title IX Coordinators, Investigators, and Review Board; 
  2. Identifies how students, faculty, and staff can report sexual harassment, relationship violence, sexual misconduct, or other forms of conduct prohibited under this policy to the University, confidentially; 
  3. Identifies access to on- and off-campus resources available to Complainant(s) and Respondent(s), including the right to notify local law enforcement, be assisted in that notification, and/or decline to notify such authorities; and 
  4. Provides the University with a means to take all reasonable steps to identify sexual harassment, relationship violence, and sexual misconduct, support prevention of its recurrence, and repair the harmful effects to the Complainant, as appropriate.  

Revised August 2020, in compliance with the Department of Education’s Title IX Final Rule released May 6, 2020.
Revised August 2019
Approved by President's Cabinet, 2017