Protections against Discrimination

The William and Mary Statement of Rights and Responsibilities gives each member of the College community the right in dealings with the Institution, and with members of the College community in the performance of their official duties, to be free from discriminatory treatment with regard to race, sex/gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, political belief, disability, Vietnam veteran status, age, and all other categories protected by the Commonwealth and by federal law.

What is discriminatory treatment?

Discriminatory Decisionmaking - a person with decision-making authority takes the protected trait into account. Examples include:

• A supervisor assigns workloads based on the national origin of the worker.
• A teacher reserves the best seats for female students.
• A waiter refuses to serve people of a particular race.
• A college administrator allows time off to attend services to members of one religion, but not to members of another.
• An instructor gives all the intellectually challenging assignments to males.
• A college refuses to admit students of a particular ethnicity.

Harrassment - Regardless of whether or not it is motivated by discrimination, harassment violates William and Mary policy. The College defines harassment to include abusive conduct that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive to threaten an individual or limit the ability of the individual to work, study or participate in College activities. Often, harassment takes the form of hostile words and actions that create an abusive living, learning or work environment.

Sexual Harrassment - In addition to the types of harassment described above, sexual harassment may consist of unwelcome sexual advances, requests or behaviors toward an individual that interfere with the individual's activities at the College.

• A student receives a poor grade for failing to submit to a teaching assistant's demands for sexual favors.
• Sexual innuendo renders a classroom discussion so pervasively hostile that students reasonably and legitimately are unable to focus on the discussion.
• Residents of a dormitory repeat sexual taunts and repeatedly leer at members of the opposite sex, rendering the workplace dormitory hostile and intolerable.
• Students who refuse to engage in pervasive sexual banter are excluded from a college activity.

To view the complete Sexual Harassment Policy, please see the Faculty Handbook, page 50 of 95, on the Provost's website.

The foregoing are just a few examples of the types of discriminatory behaviors that could interfere with a student's experiences at the College. If you have questions about your rights or if you believe that you have experienced or witnessed discrimination or harassment at William and Mary, please contact any of the following:

Office of Equal Opportunity
Tammy H. Currie
(757) 221-1909 
[[thcurr]]

University Ombuds Office
Ombudsperson Tatia Granger
(757) 221-1941
[[tdgranger]]  

Dean of Students
Patricia M. Volp
(757) 221-2510
[[pmvolp]]

Arts and Sciences 
Undergraduate Dean Sue Peterson 
(757) 221-2498
[[smpete]]

Arts and Sciences
Graduate Dean Laurie Sanderson
(757) 221-2468
[[slsand,slsand@wm.edu]]

Arts and Sciences
Graduate  Ombudsperson Professor Carey Bagdassarian
(757) 221-2556
[[ckbagd]]

School of Education
Dean Tom Ward
(757) 221-2358
[[tjward]]

Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Graduate Dean Iris Anderson
(804) 684-7105
[[iris]]

Consensual Amorous Relationship Policy

Between Faculty and Students - The College prohibits consensual romantic and/or sexual relationships between faculty members and undergraduate students, as well as between faculty members and those graduate students for whom the faculty member has direct professional responsibility.

Between Faculty and Subordinate Employees - Faculty members are advised against participating in amorous relationships with those whom they supervise. Similarly faculty members should avoid situations requiring them to supervise those with whom they currently have an amorous relationship.

Whenever such a situation arises or is foreseen, the faculty member shall report the situation promptly and seek advice from an appropriate administrative superior. That superior should take effective steps to insure unbiased supervision or evaluation of the person supervised.

For more information or to report violations of these policies, please contact:

Tammy H. Currie
Equal Opportunity Director
221-1909
[[thcurr,thcurr@wm.edu]]

or the dean responsible for your area—

Arts and Sciences
Dean Carl Strikwerda
(757) 221-2470
[[cstrik,cstrik@wm.edu]]

School of Business
Dean Larry Pulley
(757) 221-2891
larry.pulley@mason.wm.edu

School of Education
Dean Virginia McLaughlin
(757) 221-2315
[[vamcla,vamcla@wm.edu]]

School of Law 
Dean Davison Douglas
(757) 221-3790
[[dmdoug]]

Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Dean John Wells
(804) 684-7103
wells@vims.edu