UCNJ is committed to environments for all students, employees and visitors that are free from discrimination and harassment. In accordance with State and Federal law, UCNJ does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of the following protected classes and/or characteristics, in all of its programs and activities, including but not limited to employment, promotion, admissions, and access to all career and technical programs:
- Race;
- Creed;
- Color;
- Sex;
- Gender;
- Pregnancy;
- Gender Identity or Expression;
- National Origin;
- Nationality;
- Age;
- Ancestry;
- Marital Status, Domestic Partnership, or Civil UCNJ Status;
- Religion;
- Affection or Sexual Orientation;
- Atypical hereditary Cellular or Blood Trait;
- Genetic Information;
- Liability for Military Service;
- Protected Veteran Status;
- Mental or Physical Disability (including perceived disability, AIDS and HIV related illnesses);
- Harassment (related to any of the forgoing categories);
- Retaliation for filing a complaint of, or participating in an investigation of discrimination; and
- Any other category protected by law.
The College is committed to providing equal employment and educational opportunities to all employees, students and applicants in accordance with this policy. UCNJ seeks to maintain an atmosphere that is free from harassment and intimidation of any type, including sexual harassment. Each College employee and student has the responsibility for adhering to this affirmative action policy. The College is also committed to the provision of reasonable accommodations for disabled or handicapped individuals. In order to submit a formal affirmative action grievance please consult the grievances section in this student handbook. For more information or to submit an affirmative action complaint, please contact the Dean of Students and/or UCNJ’s Affirmative Action Officer.
Consensual Amorous Relationships
This policy prohibits consensual amorous relationships between a faculty or staff member and a student whenever the faculty or staff member is in a position of professional or supervisory responsibility. A faculty or staff member has a professional or supervisory responsibility when she or he is currently in a position to make or influence a decision or to confer or withhold a benefit relating to the student’s education, employment or campus sponsored activity. This includes but it is not limited to staff and student, faculty and student, coach and player, supervisor and student worker, and advisor and advisee relationships. While this policy does not prohibit a consensual amorous relationship between a faculty and staff member and a student in the absence of current professional or supervisory responsibility with respect to the student, the College strongly discourages such relationships. A faculty member or staff member who enters a consensual relationship with a student while directly supervising the student must disclose the relationship to his/her immediate supervisor.
Title IX
Under Title IX, no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Title IX does not only protect athletes in the higher education system. It also protects any and all students who feel they have been harassed or discriminated against due to their gender. It is important to talk to someone if you believe you were witness to a form of gender discrimination. Witnesses are also protected by Title IX and have a right to file a complaint and report the incident. To submit a complaint or for more information, contact the Affirmative Action Officer, the Dean of Students or the Dean of College Life.
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is a serious offense. Any individual who sexually assaults another is subject to disciplinary procedures of the College and subject to any pertinent state or federal regulations. Sexual assault includes, but is not limited to, actual or attempted nonconsensual or forcible sexual touching, including fondling, kissing, groping, attempted sexual intercourse, and or penetration with an object. Sexual assault can be perpetrated by someone known or unknown, including an acquaintance, spouse, partner, date, relative, friend or stranger, by men or women. Rape is nonconsensual intercourse with any victim male or female. A victim may not be able to give consent due to intoxication, infancy or any other impairment of will. To insure that the needs of sexual harassment victims are met and that colleges and universities in New Jersey create and maintain communities that support human dignity, UCNJ has adopted the Campus Sexual Assault Bill of rights established by the state of New Jersey. For more information on resources provided by the College for victims of sexual harassment please contact the Dean of Students, the Crisis Counselor(s), or the Affirmative Action Officer.
To report sexual assault or violation call:
• 911 immediately and
A Public Safety Office
• Cranford Campus (908) 709 7152
• Elizabeth Campus (Lessner) (908) 965-6070
• Elizabeth Campus (Kellogg) (908) 659-5159
• Plainfield Campus (908) 412-3595
• Scotch Plains Campus (908) 709-0268
• College Wide Emergency (908) 709-0268
Sexual Harassment
All students have the right to an environment free from discrimination, including sexual harassment. It is the policy of UCNJ that harassment on the basis of gender/ sex is unacceptable conduct and that conduct will not be tolerated in any manner. Sexual discrimination is prohibited by the New Jersey Law against discrimination, Title IX of the Education Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and amendments. It is against the policy of the College for any student, faculty member or employee male or female to sexually harass another member of the College community by making unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, or engaging in other unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment by such conduct, irrespective of one’s intent. Examples include, but are not limited to the following; unwelcome sexual propositions, graphic statements about a person’s body; display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; remarks or innuendos with a sexually demeaning implication, unwelcome touching, patting, or other physical contact; gender based humor; suggesting or demanding unwelcome sexual involvement which may include implied or explicit threats or sexual abuse including forced conduct. Any student who has been the target of sexual harassment may submit a formal grievance. Please consult the grievances section in the student handbook. For more information or to file an affirmative action complaint, please contact the Dean of Students and/or the Affirmative Action Officer.
Violence Against Women Act – VAWA
The UCNJ community adamantly condemns all acts of violence on campus, including sexual assaults, domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence. All incidents of sexual violence, whether reported by a victim or bystander will be immediately reported to the local police department and aggressively investigated by the appropriate college official(s).
Sexual offenses (whether forcible or non-forcible), domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking violate the criminal law and College regulations. Any reported violations will be treated swiftly through legal avenues and/or the established College disciplinary procedures. If you experience any form of sexual misconduct, domestic, dating violence and or stalking, the College objectives are to end the misconduct prevent its occurrence and address its effects. In reporting activities that constitute a crime, initial contact should be made to the local police where the offense took place as quickly as possible. Students, staff, faculty, visitors and business partners have the options of notifying the public safety office and they will notify local police. To report a violation, contact the Dean of Students, the Affirmative Action Officer or the Dean of College Life located on the Cranford campus.
For more information or to submit a complaint contact:
Complaints
Vincent Lotano
Associate Vice President, Administration
908-709-7046
vincent.lotano@js-ayds.com
All complaints of discrimination, including those concerning Title IX, Section 504, and the ADA should be directed to Vincent Lotano
Student Accommodation Requests
Ms. Karen Cimorelli
Director of Universal Accessibility Services & Veterans Affairs
Nomahegan Hall, Room N-3
1033 Springfield Avenue
Cranford, New Jersey 07016
Phone: 908-709-7164
karen.cimorelli@js-ayds.com
All requests for accommodations from UCNJ students, pursuant to Section 504 or the ADA, should be directed to Ms. Cimorelli
Employee, Guest, and Visitor Disability Accommodation Requests
Vincent Lotano
Associate Vice President, Administration
908-709-7046
vincent.lotano@js-ayds.com
All requests for accommodations from UCNJ employees, guests, and visitors, pursuant to Section 504 or the ADA, should be directed to Vincent Lotano, the Section 504 Administrator and ADA Coordinator. All matters, other than student accommodation requests and complaints, also may be directed to Vincent Lotano.