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.

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). 

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.

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.