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.