Syracuse University has launched mandatory yearly sexual assault training for all employees, SU announced Tuesday, after new statewide policy guidelines recently went into effect.

The guidelines were announced last week. Changes made to university policy are meant to comply with the new regulations, according to SU.

Policy changes include a more detailed description of resources available beyond those at the university to victims of sexual harassment or discrimination. The definition of retaliation has also been made clearer, with specific acts such as demotions, terminations and unfair grading defined as forms of retaliation. Behaviors like increased workload or denied access to resources have also been listed as retaliatory.

SU prohibits any form of retaliation toward a trustee, officer, faculty member, staff member or volunteer that has filled out a good faith report of suspected violations to university policy, according to the Prohibition of Retaliation policy.

Laura Angle | Digital Design Editor

A new sexual harassment complaint form has also been introduced, per the release. The form was not listed on the Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and Assault Prevention Policy website or on the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services’ Report a Concern page, as of Tuesday evening.

The university is required to ensure that the mandatory sexual harassment training includes an interactive component, according to SU. This includes having an opportunity for questions and answers or feedback during live training and adding an interactive component to web-based training.

The training will include discussions about unlawful conduct, resources where employees can file complaints, help available to victims and the responsibilities of supervisors.

Laura Angle | Digital Design Editor

The Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services will offer web-based training to all faculty and staff starting Monday, and live training sessions will continue across campus. By October 2019, all faculty and staff must complete sexual harassment training annually.

New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced the release of finalized materials and guidance on the statewide laws on Oct. 1, following a public comment period in August and September. The materials include model policies, trainings and forms, among other things. The state reviewed hundreds of comments from a range of employers, groups and individuals during the public comment period.

Published on October 9, 2018 at 8:12 pm

Contact Colleen: cefergus@syr.edu | @ColleenEFergus2