Online training course developed to prevent sexual harassment
Noelle Lynn Blood
Issue date: 9/11/09 Section: News
UNO's Office of Diversity continues to promote a positive and productive campus experience by offering an online professional training program called Preventing Sexual Harassment.
The program, which can be accessed at newmedialearning.com/psh/unomaha/index.htm, provides background information about sexual harassment and allows students, faculty and guest users to complete a mastery test with printable certificate of completion.
The primary goals of the course are: to enable users to identify sexual harassment behaviors, explain legal and other consequences of sexual harassment, describe users' roles and responsibilities in creating academic and work environments free of sexual harassment, teach actions to be taken against sexual harassment and declare UNO's policies and procedures on sexual harassment.
More than 60 percent of college students report being sexually harassed on campus, according to the American Association of University Women Web site.
"Harassment of any kind is bothersome, demeaning, irritating and annoying behavior," according to the Preventing Sexual Harassment literature. "Disrespectful or offensive sexual behavior by faculty, staff or students is inappropriate and, in some cases, may be abuse of authority. The involved parties can be men or women; supervisors, subordinates or peers."
Sexual harassment cuts across all racial, gender, ethnic and income lines, said Mary Sweeney, assistant director of human resources at UNO.
While sexual harassment hasn't been a major issue at UNO, the university is "a microcosm of larger society and sexual harassment is an issue that affects every employer," Sweeney said. "We're no different."
The program is available in student, faculty and guest versions. None of the faculty offices are required to use the program. However, Dori Richards, director of the UNO Writing Center, requires all consultants to pass the program before they interact with student clients.
The program, which can be accessed at newmedialearning.com/psh/unomaha/index.htm, provides background information about sexual harassment and allows students, faculty and guest users to complete a mastery test with printable certificate of completion.
The primary goals of the course are: to enable users to identify sexual harassment behaviors, explain legal and other consequences of sexual harassment, describe users' roles and responsibilities in creating academic and work environments free of sexual harassment, teach actions to be taken against sexual harassment and declare UNO's policies and procedures on sexual harassment.
More than 60 percent of college students report being sexually harassed on campus, according to the American Association of University Women Web site.
"Harassment of any kind is bothersome, demeaning, irritating and annoying behavior," according to the Preventing Sexual Harassment literature. "Disrespectful or offensive sexual behavior by faculty, staff or students is inappropriate and, in some cases, may be abuse of authority. The involved parties can be men or women; supervisors, subordinates or peers."
Sexual harassment cuts across all racial, gender, ethnic and income lines, said Mary Sweeney, assistant director of human resources at UNO.
While sexual harassment hasn't been a major issue at UNO, the university is "a microcosm of larger society and sexual harassment is an issue that affects every employer," Sweeney said. "We're no different."
The program is available in student, faculty and guest versions. None of the faculty offices are required to use the program. However, Dori Richards, director of the UNO Writing Center, requires all consultants to pass the program before they interact with student clients.
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