Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Affirmative Action Policy

Mid-State Technical College is committed to complying with state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations and does not discriminate in its services, employment programs, and/or its educational programs and activities. Discrimination and harassment by supervisors, co-workers, students, non-employees on the basis of race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, or other protected class is prohibited by the College.

The policy is intended to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, as well as express the College’s commitment to the principles of equal opportunity for all.

Equal opportunity within the scope of these guidelines is for employees, applicants for employment, students, and the general public without regard to political affiliation, age, race, creed, color, disability, marital status, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, arrest or conviction record, service in the armed forces, genetic testing, and the use or non-use of lawful products off the College’s premises during non-working hours. Retaliation is a form of discrimination, and as such is prohibited. The College recognizes that equal employment opportunity is a legal, social, and economic necessity to the District.

The College commits itself to a continuing program to assure that unlawful discrimination does not occur in the services it renders to the public.

Harassment is a form of discrimination and includes verbal or physical conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work and/or academic environment, which substantially interferes with or substantially and adversely affects a student’s academic or employee’s work performance. Harassment includes unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe enough to interfere substantially with a student’s academic progress or employee’s work or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive academic or work environment. This definition also applies when Harassment includes any of the verbal/physical conduct listed below which is based on the protected status of the individual:

• Derogatory comments, jokes or slurs, physical harassment including unwanted contact, assault, impeding or blocking movement, or any interference with activity appropriate in the work/academic work environment that have the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work/academic environment or which substantially interferes with the employee's work or student’s academic performance.
• Visual harassment including derogatory posters, cartoons, or drawings that have the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work/academic environment or which substantially interferes with the employee's work or student’s academic performance.
• Sexual harassment also includes unwelcome sexual advancements, unwelcome physical contact of a sexual nature or unwelcome physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature, the submission to which is either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of the individual's employment or individual’s status as a student or whenever submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions. Sexual/gender harassment may also be found where the conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work/academic environment or which substantially interferes with an employee's work or student’s academic progress.

No employee or student shall be punished or penalized for rejecting or objecting to behavior that might be considered as sexual harassment including, but not limited to, the following examples:

• Sexual gestures with hands or body movement.
• Unnecessary and unwanted touching, grabbing, caressing, pinching or brushing up against a person.
• Staring at a person or looking a person up and down.
• Whistles, catcalls, and sexual references.
• Repeated pressure on an employee to socialize with or date another individual.
• Asking personal questions about a person's social or sexual life.
• Making sexual comments or innuendoes, telling jokes or stories of a sexual demeaning offensive or insulting nature.
• Deliberate display of offensive, sexually graphic material which is not necessary for business purposes.
• Posters, cartoons, photographs, or art work of a sexual, hostile, or degrading nature.
• Granting or withholding pay increases, promotions, job offers, or other employment issues based on sex.

Harassment may also include:

• Engaging in criminal conduct or acts of violence, making threats of violence toward anyone on college premises or at any time for any purpose; fighting, horseplay, or provoking a fight on college property, or negligent damage of property.
• Threatening, intimidating, or coercing fellow employees or students on or off the premises -- at any time, for any purpose.
• Malicious gossip and/or spreading rumors; engaging in behavior designed to create discord and lack of harmony; interfering with another employee on the job; willfully restricting work output or encouraging others to do the same.

Appropriate corrective measures will be used to eliminate harassment pursuant to this policy.

Discrimination/Harassment Complaint Procedures

The College has set forth a complaint procedure for an individual who alleges discrimination based on a protected status, prohibited harassment, or violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The procedure can be obtained from the District Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Officer or from the following links:

Procedure for employees and students

The Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Officer reports to the President to assure implementation of the Affirmative Action Plan. Questions regarding affirmative action or equal opportunity shall be directed to:

Vice President of Human Resources
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Officer
500 32nd Street North
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
715.422.5325 • AAEO@mstc.edu

The College’s complete policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Affirmative Action