Policy revisions on sexual harassment and consensual relationships between faculty, staff and students on UC campuses are under formal review. All faculty and staff at the University of California received a memo on Sept. 25 detailing the new policies and were asked to give feedback.

Some revisions include an update on what qualifies as sexual harassment and add prohibitions on consensual relationships between not just students and faculty, but nonteaching staff as well. According to UC representative Abby Lunardini, the revisions are an attempt to create a more cohesive policy.

“”After the policies are final, then each UC campus will amend its policy to the final resolution,”” said Lori Chamberlain, director of the UCSD Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Policy.

Each policy had a draft written by different groups. While the UC Office of General Counsel, in conjunction with the human resources department, detailed the new revisions for sexual harassment, a group of different representatives who handle academic affairs dealt with consensual relationship issues.

The new policy proposes a strict ban of consensual relationships between students and any faculty or staff where there may be a potential conflict of interest. These conflicts, it stated, would lead to an abuse of power, coercion, exploitation or favoritism on the part of the faculty and staff. According to Chamberlain, not all UC campuses currently have specific policies on consensual relationships.

Commissioner of Student Advocacy Jeff Boyd feels that the policy addresses a common issue.

“”Unfortunately, consensual relationships between students and faculty happen more than people think,”” Boyd said.

New policies on consensual relationships not only focus on prohibiting those between students and staff and faculty, but look to prevent them as well. Boyd cited an example that a theatre major may not have a relationship with a faculty member of the theatre department even if the student is not immediately enrolled in the faculty member’s class.

Sexual harassment also comes under review. The policy addresses disciplinary action for those “”responsible for reporting or responding to sexual harassment who knew about the harassment and took no action to stop it or failed to report the prohibited harassment.”” It also describes prohibition of and disciplinary action for intentionally false reports of sexual harassment.

The policy revisions come in the wake of the resignation of John Dwyer, dean of UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, following allegations that he sexually harassed a former law student. Dwyer, who resigned in December 2002, admitted to a single consensual encounter with a student, but denied the charges of sexual harassment.

According to Lunardini, the policy revisions “”didn’t stem from any incidents.””

However, Chamberlain said there is a connection between Dwyer’s resignation and policy revisions.

“”It would be naive to say [Dwyer’s resignation] had nothing to do with it,”” Chamberlain said. “”It probably speeded things up regarding policy revisions.””

According to Chamberlain, staff and faculty are asked to give feedback due to some possible disagreement with the policies.

“”Some people may fear that free speech is trod upon with the sexual harassment policy,”” Chamberlain said. “”Some may also want the freedom of choice to have a relationship.””

In response to possible concerns, the draft sent out to all UC faculty and staff included a section addressing freedom of speech. For example, there would be no restrictions on issues “”legitimately related to course content and teaching methods of an individual faculty member.””

Some students are concerned with the limitations imposed by the anti-consensual relationship policy.

“”People should be able to choose who they want to have a relationship with as long as they are willing to do so responsibly,”” Earl Warren College sophomore Bryant Pham said.

According to Chamberlain, her department gets between 50 and 60 reports of sexual harassment a year. She said that studies show 90 percent of all sexual harassment cases go unreported.

“”It is important to let people know how to report sexual harassment,”” Chamberlain said.

Accordingly, the second section in the new draft of sexual harassment policy addresses the university’s duty in taking an active role in dealing with sexual harassment procedure.

Despite all of the University of California’s efforts to clarify and reassert sexual harassment policies, some students considered the policies too strict.

“”I think this whole sexual harassment issue is blown out of proportion,”” John Muir College freshman Chloe Hadji-Elias said.a