Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is any unwelcome sexual contact, either directly or through clothing, which is committed by threat, coercion, or by force, or without the consent of the other person.  Sexual contact may include deliberate contact between a body part of, or an object wielded by, one person, and the body part of another person.

Sexual Harassment

It is the policy of Colby not to discriminate on the basis of sex/gender in its educational programs, activities, or employment as required by Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments. In its April 2011 letter to educational institutions in the United States, the Department of Education defines sexual harassment as:

"…unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.It includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual violence is a form of sexual harassment prohibited by Title IX." (Dept. of Education Dear Colleague Letter: Sexual Violence, April 4, 2011, p.3)

Additionally, Colby's Harassment Policy states: "Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when this conduct is unwelcome and explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's educational experience or employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's educational or work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational or work environment." (The Colby College Harassment Policy is available in its entirety in the Colby Student Handbook at:

http://www.colby.edu/administration_cs/student-affairs/deanofstudents/studentconduct/policies_procedures/harassment/harassment-policy.cfm

Other Sexual Misconduct

Other forms of sexual misconduct that are prohibited by Colby policy include but are not necessarily limited to:

• stalking
• relationship violence
• sexual intimidation
• sexual threatening
• secretly recording (audio and/or video) sexual activity
• producing and/or distributing sexually explicit materials (e.g. photographs, audio, and/or video) without the consent of parties depicted in said materials
• surpassing boundaries of consent (e.g. permitting others to secretly watch you engage in sexual activity)
• voyeurism
• knowingly transmitting a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
• exposing oneself in an unwelcome manner
• unwelcome physical contact of a sexual nature (e.g. brushing, touching, pinching, groping, kissing, etc.)