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Sexual Harassment

In recognition of the severity of the crimes associated with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The reauthorization of VAWA (2000, 2005, and 2013) along with the Campus SaVE Act and the Clery Act, have worked together to improve the safety of college campuses and enhance the outlook for abuse victims.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex and gender, which includes sexual harassment and sexual violence, in educational programs and activities.

Sexual harassment in higher education is defined as unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Whether the conduct is explicit or suggested, it is prohibited if submission to or rejection of such conduct is a basis for determining admission, required or expected educational performance, attendance requirements, coursework, placement, quality of instruction, tuition or fees, scholarship opportunities, grades, successful completion of coursework, or degree received. Sexual harassment may include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Acts of sexual harassment are forms of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX.

If you feel you are the victim of sexual harassment, do the following

  • Try to stop the behavior by telling the offender clearly that the behavior is unwelcome and offensive to you and you want it to stop.
  • Get help from others. The Counseling, Advising and Transfer Services Center or the Dean of Students Office can help you identify a way to approach this situation.
  • Be sure to write down the details of what happened.

You may also file a Title IX complaint, which serves as official notice to College of DuPage to authorize the Title IX Coordinator to initiate a preliminary investigation into the information and allegations contained within the report, by going to Formal Discrimination and Harassment (Title IX).

College of DuPage seeks to foster a community environment in which all members respect and trust each other. It is the responsibility of all College employees who observe or hear of acts of possible sexual misconduct, to immediately report to a College resource:

For more information on sexual harassment and additional resources contact the Dean of Students Office at (630) 942-2485 or deanofstudents@cod.edu.

Contact Information

Dean of Students
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 1417
(630) 942-2485
Email: deanofstudents@cod.edu