POLICY
REGARDING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
The
Any
and all forms of violence, threatening behavior, and/or harassment which
involve or affect employees of The College of New Rochelle or which occur on
any of the College’s campuses are prohibited by this policy. This includes, but is not limited to,
threatening behavior, violent actions, and harassment by college employees
directed against other employees, by employees directed against students, or
visitors, and by students, or visitors directed against college employees. The College will actively work to prevent and
eliminate violence, threatening behavior, and harassment on campus. The College will respond promptly and
decisively to violence, threatening behavior, and harassment on campus. This response may include termination of
employees or dismissal of students and will include timely involvement of law
enforcement agencies, when appropriate.
All disciplinary measures taken against students shall be taken in
accordance with the procedures of the campus judicial system. This policy does not alter any codes of
student conduct or procedures of the campus judicial system. The College’s response may also include
removal of third party vendors/contractors from campus or termination of
contracts with such vendors/contractors.
Engaging in violence, threatening behavior, and/or harassment is
considered a form of employee misconduct.
“Violence,
threatening behavior, and harassment” includes, but is not limited to, conduct
against persons or property that is offensive, intimidating, hostile, injury
producing, and/or abusive. Normal,
courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, non-coercive interactions between
employees and students, employees and employees, and visitors and students or
employees, that are acceptable to both parties are not considered to be
violent, threatening, or harassment.
The
College’s prohibition against threatening behavior, acts of violence, and
harassment applies to all persons involved in the operation of the college and
all persons who attend the college, including, but not limited to all college
employees, all college students, third party vendors, and anyone else on any of
the campuses.
1. Violations of this policy
will be promptly investigated and action will be taken, as necessary, to
appropriately address each incident. The
College will seek severe disciplinary penalties, up to and including
termination, against employees of the College who are involved in the commission
of threatening behavior, violence, and/or harassment.
2. The College will seek severe
disciplinary penalties, up to and including dismissal, against students of the
College who are involved in the commission of threatening behavior, violence,
and/or harassment. Student violations of
this policy will be adjudicated by the campus judicial system.
3. The College may support
criminal prosecution of those who threaten or commit violence or engage in
harassment against its employees, students, and visitors to its campuses.
4. This policy shall be deemed
supplemental to all applicable State and Federal Laws, all personnel rules,
regulations and procedures contained in staff and employee handbooks, and all
student codes of conduct.
Each
employee and student of The College of New Rochelle is required to report all
incidents of harassment, threatening behavior, and/or acts of violence of which
he/she is aware. Visitors to the College
are strongly encouraged to do the same.
If an employee, student, or visitor believes he/she or others are in
immediate danger, the local police department should be contacted by dialing
911 from any campus phone.
1. When the reporting
individual is a campus employee, student or visitor against a campus employee,
the report is to be made to one of
the following persons:
MAIN CAMPUS:
·
Director of Safety/Security
·
Director of Human Resources
·
Immediate Supervisor
BRANCH CAMPUSES
·
Director of Security/Security Coordinator
·
Campus Director
·
Immediate Supervisor
Note: The
person receiving the report must then inform the others.
2. When the reporting
individual is a campus employee or student and the report is against a student,
the report shall be made in accordance with the procedures of the campus
judicial system.
3. When the reporting
individual is a visitor to the campus, the report shall be made to Campus
Security.
4. Each person to whom such a
report has been made regarding an employee shall immediately refer the report
to the Director of Human Resources.
Reports against students shall be referred to the Vice President for
Student Services.
5. Nothing in this policy
alters any other reporting obligation established in campus policies or in
State, Federal, or other applicable laws.
1. The College will attempt to
reduce the potential for campus violence by positively affecting the attitudes
and behavior of its employees and students by:
·
Making all current and new employees and students aware that violence
or threatening behavior on campus will not be tolerated.
·
Creating a low-risk campus environment: All employees in positions of
authority are expected to promote positive behavior, and to lead by example, by
treating employees and students with the respect and dignity to which each is
entitled. Emphasis will be placed on
creating a campus where established standards of conduct are clear,
communicated, and consistently enforced, and where discipline is used fairly
and appropriately to deal with instances of unacceptable behavior.
·
Developing procedures for increasing awareness and prevention of
threatening behavior, violence, and harassment on campus.
·
Training employees.
·
Encouraging employees and students to use available counseling and
assistance services when needed. This includes the referral of employees to the
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or of students to CCD&P, when deemed
appropriate. Both victims of violence
and those who commit violent acts or have threatened to do so may be referred
for such services.
2. The College will deal with
threatening behavior, violence, and harassment on campus by:
·
Designating campus representatives to receive campus violence
complaints.
·
Requiring all employees and students to report all threatening
behavior, violence, and harassment in a timely manner as set forth in this policy
and in the procedures of the campus judicial system.
·
Quickly dealing with threatening behavior, violence, and
harassment. Supervisors are specifically
empowered by this policy to take immediate action to resolve or stabilize
violent situations on campus and to protect people from harm.
·
Promptly and properly investigating all complaints of threatening
behavior, violence, and harassment.
·
Ensuring that the Vice President for Student Services, Director of
Human Resources and/or the Director of Safety/Security take appropriate
disciplinary action.
·
Supporting the continuation of a good working relationship between the
Department of Safety/Security and local law enforcement.
·
Employing legal remedies that address issues of workplace violence
(i.e., restraining orders).
·
Creating and maintaining the highest practical level of physical
security on campus.
· Maintaining accurate records on campus violence.