Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Policy (OSHPP) provides advice and assistance in investigating and resolving complaints of sexual harassment and provides education on the subject to the entire UCSD community.

What is sexual harassment? Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is illegal under both federal and state law. It can be verbal, visual, or physical. Although what constitutes sexual harassment varies with the particular circumstances, it is defined as:

• Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that:
  • is either a single, very severe incident or repeated or pervasive conduct that is somewhat less severe and
  • creates an environment in the workplace or educational setting that the victim finds to be hostile and that a reasonable person in the victim’s position would also find to be hostile

What services does OSHPP offer? Contact OSHPP to learn more about UCSD’s sexual harassment policies, get confidential advice and information, file a complaint, or explore other appropriate options and services.

Individuals with concerns about sexual harassment are urged to seek assistance early because under most circumstances, the sooner an incident or situation is addressed, the better the chances are for successful resolution. You may obtain confidential advice without filing a complaint.

What responsibilities do supervisors have? Effective Jan. 1, 2005:

• Supervisors, including all academic appointees, must complete two hours of sexual harassment prevention training every two years.
• New supervisors must complete the two hours of training within six months of assuming supervisory responsibilities.

Need more information? A definition of sexual harassment and examples of conduct that may constitute sexual harassment are included in UCSD’s policy on sexual harassment and the OSHPP Web site.

Need an expert? Contact OSHPP, (858) 534-8298.