FAQs

What is Sexual Misconduct?

Sexual misconduct encompasses sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual and gender-based stalking, interpersonal violence including dating and domestic partner violence, sexual exploitation, nonconsensual sexual contact (sexual assault), and nonconsensual sexual intercourse (rape), against individuals of any sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Sexual misconduct may vary in its severity and consist of a range of behaviors or attempted behaviors.

Sexual Misconduct includes but is not limited to:

1. Sexual or Gender-Based Harassment 
   Sexual or gender-based harassment is unwelcome verbal, physical, or other conduct of a sexual or gender-based nature that is so severe, pervasive or objectively offensive that it interferes with an individual’s academic performance, ability to benefit from the educational opportunities or activities of the university or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work, living or academic environment.
2. Sexual or Gender-Based Stalking, including Cyberstalking 
   Sexual or gender-based stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at an individual or group to make unwelcome contact with another person in an unsolicited fashion that would cause a reasonable person to feel harassed.
3. Interpersonal Violence
   Interpersonal violence, dating and domestic partner violence is harm or threat of harm by a current or former partner or spouse, or a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.
4. Sexual Exploitation
   Sexual Exploitation is taking nonconsensual or abusive sexual advantage of another person for one’s own or another’s advantage or benefit.
5. Nonconsensual Sexual Contact or Attempt
   Nonconsensual sexual contact, or attempt is any intentional sexual contact that occurs without consent or capacity to give consent or by use of force. Sexual contact includes contact with or touching of a person’s intimate parts (including genitalia, groin, breast, or buttocks, or clothing covering any of those areas), or using force to cause a person to touch their own or another person’s intimate parts.
6. Nonconsensual Sexual Intercourse or Attempt 
   Nonconsensual sexual intercourse is penetration of the vagina or anus with a penis, finger, tongue, or other object, or oral copulation (mouth to genital contact or genital to mouth contact) without consent or capacity to give consent or by threat or use of force.

Non-Sexual Harassment

Willamette University recognizes that harassing conduct related to an individual's sex, sexual orientation, or gender presentation can occur in conjunction with conduct related to an individual's race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, or disability. Targeting individuals on the basis of these characteristics is a violation of the university’s Code of Student Conduct. In these situations, the university will usually address the harassing conduct related to the targeted individual's sex, sexual orientation, or gender presentation together with the conduct related to the targeted individual's race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, or disability.