University Policies

Federal law requires the University to disseminate broadly certain policies to faculty, staff, and students on an annual basis. Please review the information below, familiarize yourself with these important policies, and bookmark the web sites for future reference.

Anti-harassment Policy

The University is committed to maintaining an environment that recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and that fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect. This commitment requires that the highest value be placed on the use of reason and that harassment in the University community be renounced as repugnant and inimical to its goals. Harassment destroys the mutual trust which binds members of the community in their pursuit of truth. The Anti-harassment Policy addresses harassment based on any protected classification (race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity) as well as harassment based on other factors.

Anti-harassment Policy

Policy on Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is reprehensible and will not be tolerated by the University. It subverts the mission of the University, and threatens the careers, educational experience, and well-being of students, faculty, and staff. In both obvious and subtle ways, sexual harassment is destructive to individual students, faculty, staff, and the academic community as a whole. When, through fear of reprisal, a student, staff member, or faculty member submits, or is pressured to submit, to unwanted sexual attention, the University's ability to carry out its mission is undermined.

Policy on Sexual Harassment

See also the Sexual Harassment Can Happen Anywhere web site.

Policy on Consensual Relationships Involving Students

Romantic and/or sexual relationships where one member of the University community has evaluative responsibility for the other create conflicts of interest and perceptions of undue advantage. Sexual and/or romantic relationship between individuals in inherently unequal positions of power (such as teacher and student) may undermine the real or perceived integrity of the supervision and evaluation provided, and the trust inherent particularly in the student-faculty relationship. They may, moreover, be less consensual than the individual whose position confers power believes.

Policy on Consensual Relationships Involving Students

Policy on Violence

The faculty, staff, and students of The University of Iowa form a community whose common commitment is to learning. This commitment requires that the highest value be placed on the use of reason and that violence be renounced as inimical to the University's goals. Violence, whether actual or threatened, destroys the mutual trust which must bind members of the community if they are to be successful in pursuing truth, and therefore undermines the University's status as a community of learning.

Policy on Violence

Anti-retaliation Policy

The University of Iowa encourages its faculty, staff, and students to make good faith disclosures of University-related misconduct. The commitment to improve the quality of the University through such disclosures is vital to the well-being of the entire campus community. Retaliation as a response to such disclosure will not be tolerated. Retaliation, whether actual or threatened, destroys a sense of community and trust that is central to a quality environment.

Anti-retaliation Policy