Harassment is a severe infringement of human rights, threatening individual dignity, honor and the ability to live in peace. The University acts to prevent harassment, and to create a campus environment where students and staff can live healthily and peacefully. Furthermore, measures are taken to prevent and eliminate harassment, and if issues arise that lead to harassment, swift and appropriate action will be taken.

○Definition of harassment

The University defines harassment as "sexual harassment, power harassment, academic harassment, harassment based on pregnancy, infertility treatment, childbirth, childcare leave, nursing care leave, and other forms of harassment that violate the dignity of individuals in similar situations."

*At our university, we have established guidelines for the prevention of harassment and the resolution of issues to promote awareness of fundamental measures. These guidelines aim to prevent university harassment and related matters.

＊Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is the impairment of the work or educational environment through sexually offensive behavior, regardless of the perpetrator’s intent, causing discomfort to others. It includes taking advantage of a hierarchical relationship or position to coerce a person into romantic or sexual relations; conduct that creates advantage or disadvantage depending on the person's response to remarks or conduct of a sexual nature (quid pro quo sexual harassment); remarks, conduct, or images of a sexual nature that are unwanted by the recipient or others around them; and remarks or conduct that discriminate against others on the basis of sex (hostile environment sexual harassment). Additionally, sexual harassment applies to any sexual remarks or actions, regardless of sexual orientation (the gender toward which romantic or sexual feelings are directed) or gender identity (one's perception of their own gender).

＊Power harassment and academic harassment

Power harassment refers to behavior that, based on a dominant relationship, goes beyond the necessary and reasonable scope in the workplace or educational setting, causing harm to the work or study environment.

Within the context of education and research, this is called academic harassment and includes obstructing a person’s research or employment, neglecting one’s responsibility as a person’s academic supervisor, and intimidating remarks, conduct or reprimands. It is not only harassment by a person of higher status toward a person of lower status that constitutes power harassment or academic harassment: harassment that takes advantage of superiority in numbers and harassment by a person of lower status toward a person of higher status can also be classed as power or academic harassment.

＊Harassment on the grounds of pregnancy, infertility treatment, childbirth, child care leave, family care leave, etc.

Harassment based on pregnancy, infertility treatment, childbirth, childcare leave, nursing care leave refers to behavior that harms the work or study environment through actions leading to the denial of pregnancy, childbirth, or the denial of the use of systems like childcare leave or nursing care leave.

＊Other forms of harassment

In addition to the types of harassment mentioned above, actions that may harm the work or study environment include unfair exclusion or bullying, coercion to consume alcohol or engaging in disruptive behavior while intoxicated, coercion to commit misconduct, and persistently pressuring others to participate in one's own religion or ideology.

○Harassment complaint consultation and complaint filing

The university has established the “Office for Harassment Prevention and Counseling” as a campus-wide harassment consultation service. Full-time harassment counselors at the office are clinical psychologists and they are available for consultation.
Also, harassment consultation personnel (department counselors) are stationed in each campus. Depending on the nature of the consultation, the Harassment Prevention Office and the harassment consultation officers at each campus will cooperate and work together.

○Consultation Plus

When a harassment-related complaint is received, the Director of the Harassment Prevention Office may determine that prompt action is necessary to prevent the situation from escalating and to improve the complainant’s work or academic environment. In such cases, the Director may request the cooperation of relevant department supervisors. Through 'Consultation Plus,' a request may be made to relevant department supervisors to take action toward improving the complainant’s environment. As a result, the following measures may be implemented by the department in question.

• ・Notification—Issuing a caution, warning, or guidance to the other party
• ・Mediation—Restoration of the relationship between the complainant and the other party
• ・Adjustment—Implementing measures to provide relief for the complainant’s harm or restore their rights and interests

○Harassment Complaint Filing (Investigation)

If the issue is not resolved through consultation with a counselor or through procedures for improving the environment, the complainant may file a formal complaint with the Harassment Committee through the counselor upon request. Upon receiving a formal complaint (investigation request), the Harassment Committee may establish an investigative subcommittee if necessary. This subcommittee will conduct interviews with the complainant, the respondent, and other relevant parties to verify the facts and carry out the investigation.