Georgetown's board of directors in December approved several updates to the university's harassment policy, including a clause aimed at helping faculty and staff members more fully understand how certain conduct affects their colleagues and the institution.

"We're a very diverse campus, and we want to make sure everyone has the same level of knowledge about what is appropriate action in the workplace," said Rosemary Kilkenny, vice president for institutional diversity and equity. The updated policy includes language stating that all university employees will be "responsible for completing training provided by the University to prevent harassment and promote a respectful community."

Kilkenny and her staff in the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action (IDEAA) are charged with administering the Harassment Policy. She and Vice President Mary Anne Mahin, chief human resources officer, are leading the effort to develop the new training, in collaboration with several university departments.

During the training, titled "Promoting a Respectful Campus Community," participants will be introduced to a series of scenarios and then asked to answer questions about the situations, Kilkenny said.

Guidance is provided to help users understand more about the impact of the behaviors and decisions in the examples. The scenarios are tailored to Georgetown's environment and are based on situations that potentially violate federal and local laws.

"It helps you think about the issue," said Jane Genster, the university’s general counsel. "The law is not self-evident, and it has evolved in ways that are best done in scenarios." Genster and Kilkenny explained the policy update to the University Faculty Senate in November.

More information about the online training and other diversity programs will be announced prior to their launch. This is the first time the university has attempted an institution-wide training program, so many logistical details still need to be worked out, Kilkenny said.

The board of directors approved one other change to the harassment policy: the addition of "gender identity and expression" and "genetic information" to the list of characteristics for which harassment and discrimination are prohibited. This addition reflects changes to District of Columbia law. Race, age, disability, political affiliation and marital status are among the 17 characteristics noted in the policy.