The Advisory Board for Equal Opportunities is an institutional committee that promotes good practices, procedures and forms of protection aimed at the well-being of LIUC students and staff communities, according to the University’s Mission, in line with the values of inclusion, equality, personal growth and support to vulnerability.

It deploys actions to contrast any form of racial, gender-based, personal, religious, and political discrimination, to support equal opportunities and diversity as shared values.

The Board is an expression of LIUC’s vision as an inclusive University, to promote the value of people (Article 1 of the Bylaws) and their dignity in the workplace (Article 2 of the Code of Ethics).

The activities of the Advisory Board for Equal Opportunities are consistent with the following:

• General University Regulation
• Bylaws
• Gender Equality Plan
• Organizational, Management and Control Model, pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001
• Code of Ethics (Articles 7-12)
• Regulation of the Student Ombudsman Institution

With advisory, verification and propositional tasks:

• The diffusion and promotion of an inclusive culture in the student community and the entire teaching/technical-administrative staff, employees and contractual workers, which prevents any form of discrimination, by sharing good practices, documents and training paths;
• Equal opportunities of expression, access to education and work, and career and salary progressions, and quality of life;
• Prevention, reporting and management of all forms of discrimination and oppression, including stalking and harassment.

Stalking and harassment reporting procedure

The procedure refers to circumstantial situations where a person is a victim of stalking and/or harassment.

‘Stalking’ means an obsessive interest for which a person commits to an abnormal or long-term model of threats and harassment toward a specific individual (Meloy, J. R., 1996).

‘Sexual harassment’ means any behaviour of a sexual nature detrimental to the dignity of women and men, and considered unwanted, unacceptable, inappropriate, or offensive for recipients and creates an intimidatory, hostile, unstable or offensive work atmosphere (International Labour Organization, 2015).

Concerning harassment, bullying in general is defined as “an aggressive act or social interaction where an individual or group with a power advantage humiliates or intimidates someone repeatedly” (Esbensen and Carson, 2009). The concept of bullying at the workplace is more sophisticated, as it concerns ‘a situation in which an employee is repeatedly exposed to harassment by one or more colleagues (including their subordinates or leaders) for an extended period of time, and where the targeted person cannot defend themselves against this systematic mistreatment’ (Nielsen and Einarsen, 2018).

One of the students, employees or professional workers, victim of stalking and/or harassment, may refer to the Board’s Chairman (currently Professor Eliana Minelli) and/or Secretary (currently Dr Alessandra Massironi), at the address [email protected].

Following a report, there will be a meeting with the affected person for due assessments and investigations about the case.

The reporter may schedule an interview with the Counselling and Well-Being Service, as a personal space for elaborate on what happened, and a resource to share a management strategies for what has occurred and the issues related to the facts, while fully respecting the reporter’s privacy.

With the affected person’s consent and protecting its confidentiality, the Advisory Board for Equal Opportunities will forward the report to the University’s Disciplinary Board, which will investigate the matter within 15 days, by summoning the reporting person and/or the alleged responsible of the unlawful conduct. Any person directly and indirectly involved shall be required to provide all the information requested to implement suitable measures of protection for the victim. The proceedings do not preclude the possibility for the victim to undertake legal action, should the reported conduct refer to a civil or criminal unlawful profile.

All phases should be managed in full compliance with privacy and confidentiality provisions.

In the case of harassment, mobbing or unlawful behaviour at work, refer to the whistleblowing link.