Policies

Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Non-Discrimination

OVERVIEW

Equal Opportunity Policies at SFU

Saint Francis University, inspired by its Franciscan and Catholic identity values equality of opportunity, human dignity, racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity, both as an educational institution and as an employer.

 

View our policy in PDF form

 

Policy Overview:

The core purpose of this policy is the prohibition of all forms of discrimination. Sometimes, discrimination involves exclusion from or different treatment in activities, such as admission, athletics, or employment.

 

Other times, discrimination takes the form of harassment or, in the case of sex-based discrimination, can encompass sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, sexual exploitation, dating violence, or domestic violence.

 

When an alleged violation of this anti-discrimination policy is reported, the allegations are subject to resolution as detailed in the full plan above.

 

Title IX

Saint Francis University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extra- and co-curricular, athletic, or other programs, or in the context of employment. Sex discrimination is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law that provides that: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

 

Title IX requires institutions to provide an educational environment free from discrimination based on sex. Sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual misconduct, and relationship violence are all forms of sex discrimination.

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Reporting Potential Title IX Violations

Saint Francis University encourages all community members to make a prompt report of any alleged incident of harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, and/or relationship violence to local law enforcement and the University.  Not only does reporting help you, sharing issues related to sexual harassment and misconduct can help prevent sexual misconduct and sexual violence. The information community members report can illuminate patterns of behavior, immediate threats to the safety of the community, and systemic issues.

 

How do I report? 

Reporting to a campus Title IX representative:   Concerns can be reported to one of the trained and certified members of our Title IX Team. On-campus reporting is not exclusive of other reporting options (such as reporting to the state police). Should you decide to pursue criminal action for incidents of alleged sexual misconduct, the University will fully support and assist you in making a report to law enforcement agencies. 

 

Anonymous Reporting: Anonymous reports may be made by telephone at 1-888-297-9325 or online at EthicsPoint.com

 

Confidential Resources

For individuals who are not prepared to make a report but need information and support, there are statutorily-protected confidential resources available. These confidential resources will not share information with the University without the individual’s consent.

On-Campus Confidential Resources:

Non-Discrimination Policy

Saint Francis University adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in private institutions of higher education.

 

Short Format Nondiscrimination Statement


Saint Francis University does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex, gender identity, age, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability (including perceived disability), national origin (including ancestry), marital status, pregnancy, veteran or military status (including disabled veteran ; recently separated veteran; active-duty, wartime, or campaign badge veteran; and Armed Forces Service Medal veteran), predisposing genetic characteristics, or any other protected characteristic under applicable local, state, or federal law. The University also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internally or externally. Reports of misconduct, questions regarding Title IX, and concerns about noncompliance should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator, Lynne Banks (lbanks@francis.edu). For a complete copy of the policy or for more information, please contact the Title IX Coordinator  or the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

 

Disability Discrimination and Accommodation Policy

Saint Francis University is committed to full compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against qualified persons with disabilities, as well as other federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to individuals with disabilities.

 

Under the ADA and its amendments, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The ADA also protects individuals who have a record of a substantially limiting impairment or who are regarded as disabled by Saint Francis University, regardless of whether they currently have a disability.

Discriminatory Harassment Policy

Students, staff, administrators, and faculty are entitled to an employment and educational environment that is free of discriminatory harassment. Saint Francis University’s harassment policy is not meant to inhibit or prohibit educational content or discussions inside or outside of the classroom that include germane but controversial or sensitive subject matters protected by academic freedom.

 

The sections below describe the specific forms of legally prohibited harassment that are also prohibited under Saint Francis University policy. When speech or conduct is protected by academic freedom and/or the First Amendment, it will not be considered a violation of Saint Francis University policy, though supportive measures will be offered to those impacted. All policies encompass actual and/or attempted offenses.

 

Clery Reports

Clery Annual Disclosure Reports

 

As required by the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), the Clery reports will inform you about the University’s methods for reporting crime, support and assistance available to crime survivors, policies relating to crime and campus emergencies, and crime statistics for the last three years. 

 

About Campus SaVe Act

The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, or Campus SaVE Act, is an amendment to the Clery Act passed through President Obama’s Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The SaVe Act is a compliment to Title IX meant to help higher education institutions better respond to and prevent sexual misconduct. The SaVe Act updates the Clery Act by mandating higher education institutions participating in federal student aid programs to increase transparency and provide "primary prevention and awareness programs" regarding sexual misconduct. 

 

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Inquiries 

 
Title IX inquiries may be made internally to:
Lynne Banks
Associate Dean of Students,
Title IX Coordinator

Office Location: Padua Hall 232B 
Phone: 814.472.3352 
Email: lbanks@francis.edu 

Discrimination inquiries may be made internally to:
Jeffrey Savino
Vice President for
Finance and Administration

Office Location: Raymond Hall 101 
Phone: 814.472.3260 
Email: jsavino@francis.edu 

Inquiries may be made externally to:
Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Customer Service Hotline #: (800) 421-3481
Facsimile: (202) 453-6012 
TDD#: (877) 521-2172
Email: OCR@ed.gov
Web: http://www.ed.gov/ocr 

Title IX Contacts at Saint Francis

  • Team Members

    All of the staff listed below are trained to support any individual affected by sexual misconduct. While not bound by confidentiality, these resources will maintain the privacy of all individuals involved within the limited circle of the Title IX team. 

     

    Title IX Coordinator

    Lynne Banks, Associate Dean of Students, Padua Hall 232B   lbanks@francis.edu, 814-472-3352


    Title IX Deputy Coordinator

    Don Miles, Director of Residence Life, Padua Hall 227   dmiles@francis.edu, 814-472-3380


    Campus Police

    Brian Ianuzzi, Captain, SBDC Building bianuzzi@francis.edu, 814-472-3360


    Employees

    Marian Bender, Director of Human Resources, Raymond Hall 121, mbender@francis.edu, 814.472.3931


     

     

     

     

  • Team Trainings

    Saint Francis University’s Title IX Team and all persons associated with the Title IX Process are certified through unbiased and free from conflict nationally-recognized organizations. The training and certifications that our team has been part of are:

     

    • ATIXA Level I – Title IX Investigator
    • ATIXA Level II – Civil Rights Investigator
    • ATIXA Level III – Civil Rights Investigator
    • ATIXA Level IV – Civil Rights Investigator
    • ATIXA Level I – Title IX Coordinator
    • ATIXA Level II – Title IX Coordinator
    • ATIXA Level III – Title IX Coordinator
    • ATIXA Level IV – Title IX Coordinator
    • ATIXA East Coast Annual Conference
    • Rural Higher Education Institute Stetson Law – Annual Law on Higher Education
    • Legal Issues in Vermont Law Conference
    • United Educators – Sexual Misconduct Prevention

    All materials related to the ATIXA Certifications can be viewed here: https://atixa.org/2020-regulations-requirement-posting-of-training-materials/

     

    Previous training materials such as agendas, handouts and manuals are available upon request for inspection by members of the public by emailing dmiles@francis.edu.