New discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment policy

McMaster’s new discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment policy will come into effect July 1.

The policy will integrate the University’s obligations and responses related to discrimination, sexual and gender-based harassment and to workplace harassment into a single framework.

It is the result of recommendations made by a cross-campus panel that has been working since January 2014.

The policy will:

• emphasize education and prevention
• clarify the roles and responsibilities of those responsible for the policy’s implementation and
• specify procedures for the ongoing collection and communication of campus-wide data on the incidence of discrimination and harassment

The panel, co-chaired by Jane Aronson (Social Sciences), Roy Cain (Social Sciences) and Sarah Dickson (Engineering) recommend that a detailed review of the policy be undertaken in two years.

It has also asked that plain-language companion guides for the policy be developed.