Student Government is ready now more than ever to help students who come to them with complaints on sexual harassment or issues of policy and procedure.

Ronnie Deedrick, vice president for academic affairs, Amanda Sartore, senate committee Academic Affairs chair and Student Senate member Brice Donnelly spoke with Cynthia Nichols, civil rights department director, following a prompting by Reed Benedict, associate sociology and anthropology department professor.

Benedict submitted a suggestion to the Faculty Senate early this semester to discuss adding to the university’s sexual harassment policy.

Eastern currently has no official policy on student and teacher relationships, but only a policy outlying such sexual harassment as teachers giving grades based on sexual relationships or other discriminating policies, whether the relationship is consentual or nonconsentual.

The proposed policy would be similar to one at the University of Illinois, frowning on sexual relationships between students and faculty, even when student and teacher relationships exist in marriage.

The policy states, “Due to the inherent conflicts of interest, no individual should initiate or participate in institutional or educational decisions involving a direct benefit or penalty to a person with whom that individual has or has had a sexual relationship.”

Deedrick said Eastern is one of few universities to require new employees to complete training and workshops on sexual harassment, and long standing employees are encouraged to attend the training.

The university civil rights policy says the training must be completed within six months of employment.

“It almost seems we are a little more strict on handling sexual harassment than other universities,” Deedrick said.

“Even if students don’t think this is a big issue, they (Eastern) obviously thing this is a big issue.”

The civil rights department promotes information on sexual harassment policies and procedures through such means as sending letters and flyers to sororities, fraternities and other Registered Student Organizations, brochures sent to employees and including brochures in packets for new employees.

Student Government can inform students about sexual harassment policies and procedures, but Deedrick said their role might not extend further.

“We will evaluate our role in it if we do have a role in sexual harassment,” he said.

“I don’t think she (Nichols) was expecting us to take specific measures,” Sartore said.

She said the civil rights office will accept sexual harassment complaints in various ways. There is an online intake form at http://www.eiu.edu/~civil/intakeform.htm or students can report by visiting the office, telephone or campus mail.