Policies
A primary purpose of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education’s Diversity and Sexual Violence Plan is to inform campuses in the Massachusetts State University System of each university’s prohibition of all forms of discrimination, discriminatory harassment, sexual violence, sexual and gender-based harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and retaliation; efforts to prevent such behaviors; and the manner in which each university will respond to such behaviors, including the prompt, impartial, fair and thorough investigation and resolution of complaints.
BHE Equal Opportunity and Sexual Violence Policy
Included in the plan are the following policies:
- Policy Against Sexual Harassment, including Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence: This policy, listed on p. 14 of the BHE Plan, includes Title IX Complaint Procedures for Complaints of Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault and Violence, Stalking, and Domestic Violence as well as a Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Form.
- Policy Against Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, and Retaliation: This policy, listed on p. 9 of the BHE Plan, includes Discrimination Complaint Procedures as well as a Discrimination Complaint Form.
- Policy Regarding Domestic Violence Leave: The state’s Act Relative to Domestic Violence provides employees with up to 15 days of leave annually if the employee or a covered family member of the employee is a victim of abusive behavior. The BHE Plan, on p. 35, addresses protective interim measures that provide more detailed information about entitlement to this leave.
Student Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct establishes the rules and regulations all students of Worcester State University are expected to follow. They are made in any exercise of the powers that are an inherent corollary of the WSU's duty to protect its educational purposes by setting and distributing standards of student conduct and scholarship, and by regulating the use of WSU facilities. Students have a right to expect enforcement of these rules and regulations. WSU also has the right to expect students to abide by these regulations in a manner that benefits the responsibilities given to students as members of the campus community. Knowledge of these rules and regulations can prove most beneficial to students in utilizing and protecting their rights.
Please know: The Trump Administration’s rescission of the 2016 Office of Civil Rights Guidance on Transgender Students under Title IX has no legal effect on Massachusetts public colleges and universities. The Commonwealth itself provides protections to transgender individuals through state legislation and executive orders, and our Equal Opportunity Plan has protected transgender individuals since before the Commonwealth enacted its legislation.