Hackney to give third harassment definition today

President Sheldon Hackney will present University Council today with another definition of harassment, the third proposed definition since the campus-wide debate over the racial harassment policy began last year. The definition, which will form the core of the new harassment code, is expected to produce yet another round of debate on where open expression rights end and harassment begins. Hackney released his first proposed guideline in October and presented Council with an alternate definition at its meeting last month. Both definitions were criticized by students and faculty on Council for limiting the scope of harassing behavior either too much or too little. Assistant to the President Stephen Steinberg, who has been working with Hackney on the policy, said last week the new definition will reflect the advice the president has received throughout the debate. Besides several Council meetings, Hackney also received input in an open forum held last December. After last month's Council meeting, Hackney said he would consider removing the controversial element of "intent" from the new definition, reflecting many Council members' criticisms that proving a perpetrator's intent is often impossible. Hackney said he was pleased with Council's response to the idea of "real harm," the newest addition to last month's definition. Steinberg said real harm is a new concept among harassment policies. In other Council business, the Council's Safety and Security Committee will present Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape with the first annual security award for its efforts to increase safety on campus. The award, called the Meera Ananthakrishnan-Cyril Leung Award after two graduate students who were killed in the campus area over the past few years, will be given out every year to the "person or group that has done the most for safety and security." STAAR members accepted the award at an annual memorial service for the two students in November, but committee chairperson Jeffrey Jacobsen said he wants to set a precedent of presenting the award in front of Council. "STAAR over the last year contributed the most to safety and security on campus," Jacobsen said. "In addition to their valuable work on acquaintance rape, they also gave advice on all victim support policies at the University."

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