Appendix A: President Office Guidelines

The University of Massachusetts President’s Office (President’s Office), as a public institution of higher education of the Commonwealth, recognizes its responsibility to promote the interests and welfare of the public it serves. In so doing, the President's Office reaffirms its commitment to employment practices and free of discrimination and harassment. At the President’s Office, equal opportunity and safe working and learning environments are not only just, but also the foundation for a diverse, inclusive and highly effective community in which all members may thrive.

The following guidelines apply to all employees who are authorized to conduct business with and/or perform services on behalf of the President’s Office.

The President’s Office does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, national origin, covered veteran status, disability, ancestry or any other characteristic protected by law in employment, admissions, participation in
its programs, services and activities, and selection of vendors who provide services or products to the President’s Office.
Other forms of discrimination include differential treatment, and practices that adversely impact some protected classes. Individuals may file a concern or complaint of discrimination if they believe they are subjected to a hostile environment or another form of discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical
conditions), disability, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, marital status, and covered veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
It is the position of the President’s Office that all members of the President’s Office community and its visitors may not be subjected to a hostile work environment. Such conduct is defined as behavior or treatment that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work by creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating or offensive environment. “Unreasonably” means that the conduct is severe, persistent, or pervasive and not based on bona fide business factors.
In addition, retaliation by the President’s Office or by any employee against anyone who raises concerns about discrimination and/or harassment is also prohibited. No employee will be fired, demoted, harassed, intimidated or otherwise "retaliated" against for filing a charge of discrimination and/or harassment, participating in a discrimination and/or harassment proceeding or otherwise opposing discrimination
Employees who direct the work of others in supervisory roles are required to report possible discrimination, harassment, or hostile environment behavior to the Associate Vice President for Human Resources Planning and Assessment, Office of Human Resources. Any member of the President’s Office community who has a question about his or her responsibilities under these guidelines should contact the Associate Vice President for Human Resources Planning and Assessment.
Sexual harassment is a violation of both Federal and Massachusetts law. It can take many forms and the determination of what constitutes sexual harassment will vary according to the particular circumstances and with consideration to the context in which the conduct occurred. Sexual harassment may be described generally as unwelcome sexual behavior that a reasonable person would find offensive and/or that adversely affects the working or learning environment. It can involve, among others, supervisor to employee, faculty or staff to student, student-to-student, student to staff, employee to employee.
Sexual harassment may involve behavior by a person of either gender against a person of the same or opposite gender. These guidelines apply to every President Office employee, consultant, contractor, and student when working for the President Office. Some examples of sexual harassment are, but are not limited to:
- Persisting in making unwanted sexual advances. This may include situations beginning as mutual attractions but later cease to be reciprocal and result in harassment;
- Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances;
- Offering employment (i.e. hiring, promotion, salary increase, or performance review, etc.) or educational benefits in exchange for sexual favors or relationships. These situations may also involve and affect third parties treated less favorably because others have been offered or have acquiesced to sexual advances;
- Visual conduct such as leering, making sexual gestures, or displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, recordings, cartoons or posters in public work places, offices, or classrooms, unless the purpose of such display is part of legitimate educational activities;
- Unwelcome verbal conduct such as making derogatory comments, slurs, jokes, unwanted sexual advances or propositions, verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic commentaries about an individual’s body, suggestive or obscene written or electronic letters and notes or sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, etc.; and
- Intentional and unwelcome physical conduct of a sexual nature such as assault, touching, impeding or blocking movement to force contact, or unwelcome hugging, etc.
The best method for preventing the problem of sexual harassment is an ongoing effort. However, corrective discipline will, at times, be necessary up to and including termination.
The President’s Office complies with all federal and state anti-discrimination laws and regulations, including those covering affirmative action: Executive Order 11246, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Civil Rights Act of 1991, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as Amended 2008, Age Discrimination Act of 1967 Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), Veterans Assistance Act of 1972, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, and Massachusetts General Law Chapter 151B, as well as other applicable state and federal laws.
These matters will be responded to with prompt concern to facilitate resolution. If the provisions of these guidelines are violated, the President’s Office will take appropriate steps to halt the inappropriate behavior and address its effects. The Human Resources staff, located at 50 Washington Street, Westborough, MA 01581, 774-528-0201 will assist in resolving your concerns and/complaints.