As a Seventh-day Adventist educational institution, Southern is committed to promoting a campus environment where sexual misconduct is not only not tolerated but also where victims of sexual misconduct of all kinds are provided supportive measures. Many activities prohibited by Southern’s Sexual Misconduct Policy are unlawful, and all are antithetical to the mission of the university. Therefore, Southern takes reasonable and appropriate remedial action to prevent sexual misconduct; to eliminate any hostile environment, including retaliation; to prevent its recurrence; and to correct its discriminatory effects on the Complainant and any others. Students who violate this policy are subject to discipline, which may include dismissal from Southern, termination from employment, and, if the legal system is involved, criminal prosecution.
Conduct that violates this policy may result from actions that threaten a student or employee in any Southern-related setting, whether it is conduct between students, between employees and students, or between students and visitors to our campus. Examples of conduct that violate this policy are as follows: harassment in the form of unwelcome sexual advancements, requests for sexual favors, or any verbal or physical entreaties of a sexual nature; public indecency; rape, including spousal and statutory rape; willful exposure to HIV; incest; promotion of the performance of sexual activity, including sexual conduct performed by children and sexting; sexual exploitation of another individual, including children; solicitation; sexual trafficking; and stalking. Both federal and Tennessee law include subcategories of a number of these examples.
For a fuller discussion of the definitions of these acts, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct policy, which can be accessed at the Student Development and Human Resources pages of Southern’s website. Hard copies of this policy are also found in the residence halls, in the office of Student Development, at Campus Safety, and at Human Resources.
Any Southern student, staff member, faculty member, or third party participating in any Southern program or activity who wishes to report a complaint of sexual misconduct against a Southern student may do so at any time. The procedures for reporting a complaint are found in the unabridged version of Southern’s Sexual Misconduct policy. The policy also includes the process of investigation and adjudication of alleged misconduct; the rights of complainants and respondents; and a list of sanctions from which Southern’s Student Sexual Misconduct Review Panel may choose should a student be found guilty of misconduct.
Southern students and employees may not engage in or tolerate sexual harassment, which is defined as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favor, and other verbal or physical conduct for a sexual nature." Any sexual behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or school environment is a violation of Christian standards as well as applicable state and federal regulations and should be reported directly to the Title IX Coordinator.
Any student, faculty member, or staff member who is found responsible for violating Southern’s sexual harassment policy will be subject to the sanctions defined in that policy (Please click on the following link to find the full report: https://www.southern.edu/administration/student-development/title_ix/index.html).
Southern’s Title IX office offers a wide variety of supportive measures to all parties involved in a sexual harassment case, including assisting complainants to make a report with Collegedale Police Department.
Because sexual violence is a crime, it should be reported to one or more of the following immediately: