Skip to content

University to Update Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment

December 1, 2021

The University’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment (PADH) is being refreshed. The policy changes will be effective January 1, 2022.

These updates are the result of a yearlong effort with University-wide input from faculty, staff, and students—and reflect the University’s ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The refreshed policy is available as a PDF for you to reference. The existing policy will be updated to reflect these changes effective January 1, 2022. Read the full announcement below for additional details.

View the refreshed policy

Full announcement

After a yearlong effort involving stakeholders and contributors from across the institution, the University of Rochester has substantially revised its Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment (PADH).

The revisions include a new decision-making model that relies on a panel to determine responsibility for alleged violations rather than a single decision maker. The new policy also changes the standard for hostile environment harassment for students, providing greater protection for students (even more than required by federal law), creating equity among students and employees.

Charged by President Mangelsdorf last November, the PADH Advisory Committee, made up of faculty, staff, and students, and the Committee’s working group collaborated for months to create the new policy that is built on transparency and accountability, and centered on the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

“The revised Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe, respectful, and welcoming climate,” Mangelsdorf said. “It is a prime example of how we are setting the highest standards for the entire University community so that Rochester is a place where we all can thrive.”

The new policy will officially go into effect January 1, 2022. For more information, please contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

Members of the University community are encouraged to report discrimination and harassment based on a protected class as well as retaliation based on a prior complaint of discrimination or harassment. Members of the University community who feel that they have experienced behavior that violates the PADH, as well as those who witness or become aware of concerning conduct, should file a report using the online PADH report form

Return to the top of the page