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Policies
Automobiles Non-academic Grievances Office of Educational Accessibility School Closings Sexual Harassment & Other Prohibited Harassment Smoking Policy Solicitation Substance Abuse Policy Workplace Violence
Automobiles
Students living in the University’s residence halls are not permitted to maintain vehicles (except bicycles) on campus. Any resident student found to be maintaining a vehicle (except a bicycle) on campus will be subject to disciplinary action. Students with disabilities may request permission to maintain a vehicle on campus from the Office of Disability Services.
Non-academic Grievances
In the course of day-to-day interactions within the University, students may encounter circumstances which lead them feel that a member of the University community (including faculty, staff, or administration) has not treated them with respect or fairly considered the students’ point-of-view. For redress of such grievances, students are strongly encouraged to address their concern first in direct conversation with the person in question. If resolution is not possible after such dialog, the student should submit a letter or e-mail (from his/her UArts e-mail account) describing the grievance to the direct supervisor of the given faculty member, staff member or administrator, with a copy sent to the individual against whom the student has the grievance. A student seeking assistance with a non-academic grievance may meet with the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students for guidance.
Please note that non-academic grievances must be filed no later than the end of the semester following the semester in which the incident occurred.
A student with a grievance pertaining to an academic matter, sexual harassment or an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct should consult specific sections (Academic Grievances, Sexual Harassment, Student Code of Conduct) of the Course Catalog and/or Student Handbook for a full explanation of procedures in such cases. See Student Handbook.
Office of Educational Accessibility
Students seeking accommodations and services through Office of Educational Accessibility are expected to self-advocate and disclose fully the nature of their disability. Federal regulations require that students provide appropriate documentation of a disability which substantially limits one or more major life activities to Disability Services before accommodations can be made. Accommodations are tailored to the specific needs of each individual student in order to maximize their potential and will, therefore, differ from student to student. Such accommodations are not retroactive, and any work done prior to self-disclosure through Disability Services, regardless of other avenues of disclosure, is to be evaluated without regard to accommodations which may be provided following self-disclosure. The failure to provide accommodations prior to self-disclosure shall not constitute grounds for a grade appeal based on a disability and will not be taken into consideration for any work done prior to faculty notification through the Office of Disability Services.
While disclosure of a disability is voluntary, students are highly encouraged to meet with the Disability Services Advisor as early in their UArts career as possible to ensure the highest levels of success. The Disability Services Advisor is available for regular appointments as well as drop in consultation on issues related to your experience at the University of the Arts.
School Closings
In the case of inclement weather, there are a number of ways to determine if the University is open. Check status early and often, as information can be updated at a moment’s notice.
Call (215) 717-6000 or (215) 717-6996.
Visit http://www.uarts.edu
Check your UArts e-mail account.
Sign-up for UArts Alerts
Tune in to any Philadelphia television station or visit their websites:
- http://www.cbs3.com
- http://www.wpvi.com
- http://www.nbc10.com
- http://www.myfoxphilly.com
- http://www.kyw1060.com or tune in to KYW News Radio 1060 (UArts is number 116)
To check the status of Continuing Education courses, call (215) 717-6095. A determination will be made by 2 p.m. for weeknight classes and 7:30 a.m. for weekends.
Please refer to the Academic Calendar for scheduled school closings and holidays. Regularly observed holidays include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the following day, and Christmas. Students must be permitted to observe all religious holidays required of their faith and their practice, with the understanding that they remain responsible for all work missed or required. Some religious holidays, Yom Kippur in the Jewish faith, or Good Friday for Catholics, among others, will likely involve a number of students missing class. Faculty should plan their syllabi so as to avoid to the fullest extent possible exams or other major events on such days.
Sexual Harassment & Other Prohibited Harassment
The University of the Arts is committed to maintaining an environment in which students, faculty, and staff can pursue academic, artistic, and professional excellence. This environment can be secured only through mutual respect and unconstrained academic and professional interchange among faculty, staff, and students. Faculty, staff, and students of the University are entitled to participate in and obtain the benefits of University programs, activities, and employment without being discriminated against on the basis of their gender, race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, short or long term disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, veteran status, economic status or political affiliation. The University regards any act of sexual harassment or harassment because of gender, race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, short or long term disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, veteran status, economic status or political affiliation to be a violation of the standards of conduct required of all persons associated with the institution. The prohibition against sexual harassment and other forms of harassment applies to all interactions occurring on campus, in University facilities, or within the context of University-related activities. The rights defined by this policy apply to all faculty, staff, and students of the University, and the obligations are binding on all faculty and staff as part of their employment, regardless of tenure or years of service, and all students, regardless of academic status. Harassment constitutes a serious offense and the University will take all necessary disciplinary actions to eradicate it from the University. Those who commit harassment prohibited by this policy are subject to the full range of discipline, up to and including immediate dismissal from the University faculty or employment, or expulsion from the University, as appropriate. The prohibitions set forth in this policy include acts of retaliation against members of the University community who have filed complaints under this policy.
What is Harassment/Sexual Harassment?
Harassment can take many forms, and is not necessarily sexual in nature. It may be, but is not limited to, unwelcome physical contact, intimidation, words, messages and sometimes even jokes and pranks. Keys to determining whether conduct is harassment include (i) whether it is unwelcome or unwanted; (ii) whether it is of the type that a reasonable, objective person would find offensive, hostile, or abusive; and (iii) whether the harassment is based on a protected status such as gender, race, or religion. The term “sexual harassment” has a special meaning and refers to unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, advancement, or success at the University; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for decisions affecting such individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive, or abusive working or educational environment, or otherwise unreasonably interferes with an individual’s terms and conditions of employment or enrollment as a student. Sexual harassment also may include:
- unwanted physical contact or conduct of any kind, including sexual touching, lewd gestures, or flirtation;
- unwelcome sexual advances or propositions;
- requests for sexual favors;
- verbal abuse, threats, or jokes of a sexual nature;
- demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive comments about an individual or his or her dress or body;
- the display in the workplace of demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive objects, words, or pictures, including nude photographs;
- the broadcast, publication, communication, or electronic mailing of demeaning, insulting, intimidating, or sexually suggestive written or recorded messages or images.
Although these examples of conduct may constitute harassment, it must be stressed that some of the types of conduct outlined above do not always rise to the level of prohibited harassment. Each situation must be evaluated in context. Similarly offensive conduct directed at an individual because of his or her gender, race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, short or long term disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, veteran status, economic status or political affiliation also may constitute prohibited harassment.
Staff/Student Interaction-Additional Prohibitions
In addition to the general prohibitions against harassment of any type, the University imposes an obligation on its staff members with regard to their interactions with students. No staff member may ask for a date, make a sexual advance to a student, or in any other way become romantically or sexually involved with a student. This rule is for the protection of students, staff, and the University. If a staff member has any doubt or question about whether his or her relationship with a student violates this policy, the staff member should refrain from further interaction with the student and contact the Director of Personnel Services for advice. A staff member may not use, in any way, his or her status as a staff member to intimidate a student or advance a personal or sexual relationship.
Procedures for Reporting Sexual Harassment
A student, employee or faculty member who feels that he or she has been the victim of harassment, must promptly report, either orally or in writing, the harassment to the (i) the Director of Personnel Services, who also serves as the Equal Opportunity Officer for the University, or (ii) the Provost when the alleged harassing party is a member of the faculty; or (iii) the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students when the alleged harassing party is a student. The matter should be reported as soon as possible after the conduct has occurred, so that it can receive prompt and appropriate attention. If, for any reason, the student, employee, or faculty member is uncomfortable discussing such matters with one of the above officials, he or she must promptly report the matter to the President, or if they are unavailable, to the most senior available administrator. In the event that a complaint of harassment formal or informal, written or oral, from the alleged victim or otherwise is made to an administrator, faculty member, or staff supervisor other than those specifically identified above, that administrator, faculty member or staff supervisor must: (a) inform the person making the complaint that the matter will be referred to the Director of Personnel Services; (b) ask the person making the complaint to write down the conduct or event(s) believed to be harassment, or record the complaint and obtain the alleged victim’s agreement that the record is accurate; and (c) promptly report, either orally or in writing, such complaint to the Director of Personnel Services. Every University administrator, faculty member, and staff supervisor has a duty to maintain a workplace/educational environment free of any form of harassment.
Investigation Process
In the event of any report, orally or in writing, of harassment, a prompt inquiry will be made to determine whether any harassment has occurred. If a preliminary inquiry into the matter indicates there may be validity to the charges, then the University will promptly proceed with a formal, thorough, and impartial investigation. If such a formal investigation proceeds, interviews and/or statements will be obtained from all available involved parties, including the accuser, the accused, and witnesses, if any. If applicable, documents and other evidence will be reviewed. During the investigation, intermediate measures such as scheduling changes to avoid contact between the parties may be taken to ensure that further harassment does not occur. The investigator(s), upon completion of the factual investigation, will reach factual conclusions, summarize them in writing, and report them to the Director of Personnel Services. Based upon the factual investigation and conclusions, and any other information that becomes available, the Provost, Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, or Director of Personnel, in consultation with the investigator(s), will reach a conclusion as to whether harassment occurred.
Remedial and Disciplinary Measures
If harassment is found, the University will take immediate steps to stop the harassment, implement appropriate corrective and disciplinary action, and initiate any necessary preventive measures to ensure the harassment does not occur again. Even if the University concludes that harassment did not occur, or that it is unable to determine one way or the other what occurred due to the lack of verifiable or credible evidence, the University may take disciplinary or preventive measures, such as training and monitoring, to ensure harassment does not occur in the future. Within 14 days of the complaint to one of the above officers (or after a longer period, if needed), the Director of Personnel Services, in conjunction with the Provost, or the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, as applicable, has the authority, after investigation, to resolve the matter with or without the imposition of sanctions. A written record of the complaint, any investigation, and the resolution of the complaint will be kept in a confidential file in the Director of Personnel Service’s office. Any conclusion from the inquiry or investigation will be communicated to both the accuser and the accused, stressing the confidentiality and anti-retaliation provisions outlined in this policy. The accuser and the accused shall have the right to review the written factual findings and conclusions of the investigator.
Further Review
If the complaining party or the accused party is not satisfied with the resolution of the matter, he or she may request a meeting with the President within seven days of being informed of the proposed resolution. The complaining party and the named harassing party have the right to appear before the President, or the President’s designated representative for the matter, to provide information and to answer questions. The Provost may provide additional information relating to the investigation and alleged harassment. At the conclusion of any such review, the President shall either affirm the prior conclusion or recommend alternative action. A written determination will be issued, and both the complaining party and the accused will be informed of this decision. No further University review is available. If a recommendation for dismissal is not upheld after exhaustion of the tenured faculty appeal process, the President shall nonetheless take remedial actions, including disciplinary actions short of dismissal, which are reasonably calculated to prevent any future harassment. Such actions are not subject to further review.
Retaliation Prohibited
Retaliation or reprisal of any kind against anyone reporting allegations of harassment, or cooperating in an investigation of such a report, is strictly prohibited. Such retaliation shall be considered a serious violation of this policy and shall be punishable by discipline up to and including termination, regardless of whether the charge of harassment is substantiated. Examples of prohibited retaliation include: threatening reprisals against the employee or student who complained or cooperated in the investigation; unfairly changing the evaluations, assignments, or working conditions of such a student or employee; or otherwise continuing any harassment against such person. If an employee or student is found to have intentionally lied about a claim of harassment, or brought the claim in bad faith, knowing that the allegation is false, then that employee or student may be subject to discipline.
Questions Regarding the Harassment Policy & Procedure
All questions regarding this Policy and Procedure should be directed to the Director of Personnel Services or to the Vice President for Enrollment, Retention and Student Affairs.
Smoking Policy
The University of the Arts maintains a smoke-free environment. Smoking is permitted only out of doors.
Solicitation
In an effort to assure a productive and harmonious work environment, persons not employed by the University of the Arts may not make solicitations or distribute literature at the University at any time for any purpose.
The University recognizes that students and alumni may have interests in events and organizations outside the University. However, students and alumni may not make solicitations or distribute literature concerning these activities on the University campus or by electronic mail.
Substance Abuse Policy
The members of the University of the Arts community and their health and safety are of paramount concern. The University will not tolerate drug and alcohol abuse, as it imperils the health and well-being of its faculty, staff, and students, and threatens the operation of its educational programs.
The use, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs and abuse of other controlled substances, in or out of class, or on University premises is inconsistent with law-abiding behavior expected of all students, and may result in discipline, up to and including expulsion.
The University prohibits the illegal and/or unauthorized manufacture, sale, or delivery, holding, offering for sale, possession, or use of any controlled substance as defined under the Pennsylvania Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, 35 P.S. Section 780-102, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act, or the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq., on University property.
Such controlled substances for the purposes of this policy shall include but not be limited to alcoholic beverages, narcotics, hypnotics, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, hallucinogens, and other similar known or habit-forming drugs and/or chemicals as defined under the aforesaid laws.
Workplace Violence
The University is committed to maintaining a safe working, learning, and living environment for all members of the University community.
Threats, acts of aggression, and violence are unacceptable in the University community. Any such threat or violent act, regardless of intent, will be considered serious misconduct and may be the basis for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
In addition, the University prohibits the possession of firearms, explosives, and other dangerous weapons on campus and at University functions off campus.
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