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<h1>Updated Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook clarifies language and new policies</h1>
By <a href="http://www.thejustice.org/staff/jocelyn-gould">Jocelyn Gould</a>
| published 09/04/18 6:00am
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<p>The 2018-19 edition of the Student Rights and Responsibilities
handbook has been updated to reflect changes made during the Department
of Student Rights and Community Standards’ annual Rights and
Responsibilities revision process. Most of the revisions focused on
clarifying the book’s language, especially regarding the University’s
handling of sexual harassment and assault.</p>
<p>The handbook “provides the definitions, structure, and policies for
community life on campus,” according to an email sent by Alex Rossett,
the interim director of Student Rights and Community Standards. The
Rights and Responsibilities Committee and the DSRCS considers revisions
to the handbook, according to <a href="https://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/srcs/rightsresponsibilities/feedback.html" target="_self">the DSRCS website</a>. Students were notified of the changes on Aug. 23.</p>
<p>The new edition clarifies the jurisdiction of the R&R handbook,
stating that the University staff may respond using the student conduct
process that handbook details for “behavior that takes place on
University property, at University events, and … occurring off-campus.”</p>
<p>The handbook clarifies that the Rape Crisis Center and the Office of
Prevention Services have been replaced by the Prevention, Advocacy,
& Resource Center. PARC provides “education, empowerment, and
support by professional staff and/or peers, with focus on helping those
impacted by sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking to
decide what they want to do next,” per the handbook. All staff are
confidential resources.</p>
<p>The handbook was updated to include the new acting Title IX
Coordinator, Robin Nelson-Bailey, who is also the vice president of
Human Resources.</p>
<p>The University Actions and Sanctions Section now includes
the policy that “any student who is found responsible of sexual
misconduct may not be allowed to participate in study abroad for
academic credit.”</p>
<p>The new edition of the handbook contains terms and definitions that
did not exist in the 2017-18 edition, including sexual contact, sexual
intercourse, force, forcible sexual misconduct, domestic violence and
dating violence. </p>
<p>Numerous other definitions of terms regarding the topic of sexual
assault were clarified. For example, in the definitions of sexual
coercion and sexual exploitation, the word “student” was replaced with
“person.”</p>
<p>“Academic Freedom” is defined for the first time in the 2018-19
edition, recognized as “the principles of academic freedom permit topics
of all types to be part of courses, lectures, and other academic
pursuits.” The definition notes, however, that “these freedoms must be
in balance with the rights of others, including the right of individuals
not to be subjected to discrimination or harassment.” The definition of
academic freedom comes from a previous University policy statement on
discrimination and harassment.</p>
<p>The language about the University Appeals Board and the Special
Examiner’s Process was altered for clarity. Policies regarding
residential life and safety were also clarified, including those
regarding candles, appliances, light bulbs and fire alarms.</p>
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<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>