POLICY

It is the policy of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine (COM) to prohibit COM employees, students, applicants for admission or employment, or other participants in COM programs or activities, from engaging in discrimination against others on the basis of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual violence), sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.

RATIONALE AND PROCEDURE

1. The objective of this document is to summarize COM policy, which follows the system-wide University policy (HR0280) prohibiting employees and students from engaging in acts of discrimination, and to inform the COM community about how to report potential violations of this policy. Not every action or utterance that may be perceived as offensive or harassing will violate University policy. Conversely, depending on the context, some conduct may be considered to violate policy even if not in violation of state or federal law.
2. The COM is committed to maintaining a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living, and working environment that recognizes the worth and dignity of every person while striving to foster tolerance, sensitivity, and mutual respect. The COM therefore prohibits employees from engaging in acts of discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes harassment based on gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity, as required by state or federal law. The COM further prohibits discriminatory harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and any other category protected by federal or state law. Employees and students are prohibited from engaging in discrimination and other harassment, regardless of whether such conduct is directed at another employee, a student, a vendor, or a visitor to campus.
3. Discrimination will not be tolerated and will be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the COM and termination of employment or student status.
4. Any employee or student who believes that he, she or they have been discriminated against, or believes they have observed an act of discrimination, is encouraged to use the procedures outlined in the Discrimination Complaint Procedure for reporting and resolution. Complaints of discrimination should be directed to the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), 910 Madison Avenue, Suite 826, Memphis, Tennessee 38163 (telephone: 901-448-2112 [voice], 901-448-7382 [TTY]). Complaints alleging discrimination must be put in writing and signed using the Discrimination Complaint Form and filed within 300 days by emailing the completed form to hsc-oed@uthsc.edu.
5. University policy prohibits retaliation against any person who in good faith opposes a practice which they believe to be discriminatory, who files a complaint or who participates in an investigation of a complaint. The University will take steps to prevent the recurrence of any prohibited discrimination and to correct any discriminatory effects on the complainant and others, if appropriate.

APPROVAL HISTORY

Effective: 05/17/21

Revised: N/A