Policy Definitions & Key Terms

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Policy Definitions

Sexual misconduct

Sexual misconduct means Title IX Sexual Harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, unwelcome sexual, sex or gender-based conduct, sexual violence, or sexual exploitation, as defined below. Prohibited Sexual Misconduct means any conduct prohibited by this (Sexual Misconduct) policy other than Title IX Sexual Harassment.

Title IX sexual harassment

Title IX sexual harassment means conduct on the basis of sex that satisfies one or more of the following:

  1. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment: conduct (1) by an employee of the University, which (2) conditions the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the University, on (3) an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct; or
  2. Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment: (1) unwelcome conduct that (2) a reasonable person would determine to be so (3) severe, (4) pervasive, and (5) objectively offensive that (6) it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education program or activity; or
  3. Sexual Assault (defined below); or
  4. Stalking (defined below); or
  5. Dating Violence (defined below); or
  6. Domestic Violence (defined below).

Sexual assault

Sexual assault means any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent. This includes:

  2. The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the consent, as defined in this policy, of the victim.
  3. Sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.


Consent means informed, freely and actively given, mutually understandable words or actions that indicate a willingness to participate in a mutually agreed upon sexual activity. A person can withdraw consent at any time. There is no consent when there is coercion, force, threats, or intimidation. There is no consent when the victim is under duress or is deceived. A person’s lack of verbal or physical resistance or manner of dress do not constitute consent. Consent to past sexual activity with another person does not constitute consent to future sexual activity with that person. Consent to engage in sexual activity with one person does not constitute consent to engage in sexual activity with another person. A person cannot consent to sexual activity if the person is unable to understand the nature, fact, or extent of the activity or give knowing consent due to circumstances including without limitation the following:

  1. the person is incapacitated due to the use or influence of alcohol or other drugs;
  2. the person is asleep or unconscious;
  3. the person is under the legal age to provide consent; or
  4. the person has a disability that prevents such person from having the ability or capacity to give consent.

Sexual exploitation

Sexual exploitation means the use of another person’s nudity or sexual activity without consent for the purpose of sexual gratification, financial gain, personal benefit, personal advantage, or any other non-legitimate purpose. Sexual exploitation includes, but is not limited to:

  1. without the knowledge and consent of all participants, observing, recording, or photographing nudity or sexual activity of one or more persons in a location where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, allowing another to observe, record, or photograph nudity or sexual activity of one or more persons, or otherwise distributing recordings, photographs, or other images of the nudity or sexual activity of one or more persons; and
  2. sending sexually explicit materials of another person without consent of the recipient.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment means any unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors or any conduct of a sexual nature when

  1. submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or educational opportunities, assessment or status at the University;
  2. submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or educational decisions affecting such individual, or
  3. such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work or educational performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or educational environment.

Sexual violence

Sexual violence means physical sexual acts attempted or perpetrated against a person’s will or when a person is incapable of giving consent. Sexual violence includes sexual assault.



  1. course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about, a person, or interferes with a person’s property;
  2. reasonable person means a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim; and

Dating violence

Dating violence means violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim, where the existence of such a relationship is determined based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length of relationship, the type of the relationship, and the frequency of the interaction between the persons involved in the relationship. For the purposes of this definition, dating violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence.

Domestic violence

Domestic violence includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by:

  1. a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the alleged victim;
  2. a person with whom the alleged victim shares a child in common;
  3. a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the alleged victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
  4. a person similarly situated to a spouse of the alleged victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the State of Illinois; or
  5. any other person against an alleged adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the State of Illinois.


Retaliation means intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX, its implementing regulations, or this policy, or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this policy. Retaliation may include, but is not limited to harassment, discrimination, threats, or adverse employment action. Any person or group within the scope of this policy who engages in prohibited retaliation is subject to a separate complaint of retaliation under this policy.

Unwelcome sexual, sex or gender-based conduct

Unwelcome sexual, sex or gender-based conduct means any unwelcome sexual, sex-based, or gender-based conduct occurring within or having an adverse impact on the workplace or academic environment, regardless of how it is conducted (physically, verbally, in writing, or via an electronic medium) and regardless of the sexes or genders of the individuals involved. This category of misconduct comes in three forms, each of which may also qualify as Title IX Sexual Harassment or violate the Nondiscrimination Policy in some circumstances:

  • Gender-Based or Sexual Hostility: Objectively offensive treatment of another person or group, through words or conduct, with hostility, objectification, exclusion, or as having inferior status based on sex, gender (including gender identity or gender expression), or sexual orientation.
  • Unwanted Sexual Attention: Objectively offensive sexual attention, advances, or comments that a person reasonably should know are unwanted or which continue to occur or persist after the recipient has communicated a desire that the behavior stop.
  • Sexual Coercion: Use of force, violence, threats, or other threats of harm by an individual to compel or attempt to compel another individual to engage in unwelcome sexual activity.

Unwelcome sexual, sex or gender-based conduct need not be illegal under existing laws to violate this policy. To be disciplined through a formal complaint process, however, the behavior must be by an employee acting in the course of employment. In investigating and responding to reports of violations, due consideration will be given to an individual’s rights to free speech, expression, and academic freedom. While speech can be used to harass or engage in unwelcome sexual, sex or gender-based conduct and can provide evidence of discriminatory intent, speech does not violate this policy just because it is subjectively offensive. A reasonable person must also find it offensive, it must lack bona fide academic purpose, and it must fall within one of the definitions of misconduct found in this policy. What sanctions or other responsive actions may be deemed appropriate, if any, will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case.

Key Terms

Campus Security Authorities ("CSAs")

Categories of University employees and University units specified in the Clery Act and required to report good faith allegations that certain crimes occurred on campus, in public areas bordering campus, and in non-campus buildings owned or controlled by the University.

For an expanded definition please visit Campus Security Authorities.

Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f), which requires the university to record and report certain crimes, to disclose certain statistics, to provide campus safety and security policy statements, and to notify the campus community regarding certain crimes and other serious incidents.


Complainant means an individual who is alleged to be the victim of conduct that could constitute sexual misconduct, including Title IX Sexual Harassment.

Confidential advisor

A person employed or contracted by a higher education institution to provide emergency and ongoing support to student survivors of sexual violence with the training, duties, and responsibilities described within the Illinois Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. The university has confidential advisors to provide those who have experienced sexual misconduct with information on available counseling and crisis response services, to discuss reporting options and possible outcomes, and to advise survivors of their rights and the university’s responsibilities regarding orders of protection, no contact directives, or similar orders that the university, a criminal court, or a civil court may issue. If a survivor requests, confidential advisors can also liaise with campus officials, rape crisis centers, sexual assault centers, the University of Illinois Police Department and/or local law enforcement. Upon request, confidential advisors can also assist survivors with contacting and reporting to campus officials, the University of Illinois Police department, and/or local law enforcement, and/or requesting appropriate interim/protective measures. Before being designated a confidential advisor, individuals must have 40 hours of training on sexual violence, and subsequently attend a minimum of 6 hours of ongoing education training annually on issues related to sexual violence. Confidential advisors are not designated as "Responsible Employees," as defined below.

Confidential resource

An individual who is not required to disclose reports of sexual misconduct to the University or law enforcement.

Formal complaint

Formal complaint means a document filed by a complainant or signed by the Title IX Coordinator alleging sexual misconduct, including Title IX Sexual Harassment, against a respondent and requesting that the recipient investigate the allegation of sexual misconduct, including Title IX Sexual Harassment. When the Title IX Coordinator signs a formal complaint, the Title IX Coordinator is not a complainant or otherwise a party.

Non-confidential resource

An individual who is required to disclose reports of sexual misconduct to the University or law enforcement.


Respondent means an individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of conduct that could constitute sexual misconduct, including Title IX Sexual Harassment.

Responsible employee

Any University employee


Please review FAQs about Employee Reporting Obligations for more information.

Supportive measures

Supportive measures means non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized services offered as appropriate, as reasonably available, and without fee or charge to the complainant or the respondent before or after the filing of a formal complaint or where no formal complaint has been filed. Such measures are designed to restore or preserve equal access to the University’s education program or activity without unreasonably burdening the other party, including measures designed to protect the safety of all parties or the University’s educational environment, or deter sexual harassment. Supportive measures may include counseling, extensions of deadlines or other course-related adjustments, modifications of work or class schedules, campus escort services, mutual restrictions on contact between the parties, changes in work or housing locations, leaves of absence, increased security and monitoring of certain areas of the campus, and other similar measures. The University must maintain as confidential any supportive measures provided to the complainant or respondent, to the extent that maintaining such confidentiality would not impair the ability of the University to provide the supportive measures.


An individual who has experienced sexual misconduct.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual misconduct, in education programs and activities for institutions that receive federal financial assistance, as well as retaliation for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege protected by Title IX.

Title IX Coordinator

The University official responsible for coordinating the University's efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Please review Title IX Coordinator for more information.