Whitworth administrators and leaders seek to establish a safe environment for students and faculty. The sexual harassment policy currently in place was developed in attempt to do this by providing a clear and flexible procedure.
The current Whitworth University sexual harassment policy was put in place in 2007. The policy was developed by a board with the help of a consultant. The policy was approved by the trustees, and has stood as Whitworth’s policy since then.
The policy developed is intentionally flexible, allowing a person reporting sexual harassment to address the issue formally or informally. The freedom within Whitworth’s policy is intended to encourage those who experience sexual harassment to report the incident.
“I think our procedures are good,” said human resource director Dolores Humiston. “We have the freedom to tailor the process to each individual situation. It is not a one-size-fits all type of [policy].”
The main aspect of the procedure is preemptive education. Whitworth faculty undergo sexual harassment training on a regular basis. This process is filled with definitions and examples from case law to inform the participant of the full extent of the issue. It is the hope that a well-informed faculty will be able to prevent most incidents of this nature from happening at Whitworth.
“I would say no community is immune,” said Kathy Storm, vice president for student life. “It is with this understanding that we have developed the policies in place.”
Both Humiston and Storm encouraged students to make themselves aware about sexual harassment and to report incidents if they occur.
Student leaders play a significant role in Whitworth’s policy to minimize sexual harassment. Sexual harassment avoidance training that leadership members go through serves a two-fold purpose. Leaders are trained to handle harassment when it arises, and are taught to avoid engaging in harassment themselves.
“More than other educational institutions we have great student leaders on the front line who are accessible, able to provide support, and able to respond,” Storm said. “It is my hope that they would uphold the values of the university. This is one area I value student leadership most.”
While the issue of sexual harassment on Whitworth’s campus is not always apparent, it is always present.
“I think sexual harassment is around. Saying it’s not here would be naive,” Warren Hall medic Daniel Repsold said.
Neither gender is safe from harassment, Repsold said.
“I think it goes both ways,” Repsold said. “It’s predominately male to female, but it can go the other way, too.”
Repsold said harassment is predominantly observed in passing comments made by students. Though some who haven’t observed harassment taking place may be tempted to feel it is not a very important issue, it should not be ignored, he said.
“It would be beneficial for the community as a whole to become more aware of the issue,” Repsold said.
Contact Haley Atkinson at haley.atkinson@whitworthian.com.
Correction: In the original version, a story was incorrectly quoted as a source. Alumna Jasmine Linabary's story referenced sexual assault, not sexual harassment.
Be the first to comment on this article!