Code of Conduct
The following information lists the code of conduct for Southbank Institute of Technology by which all students, staff, clients and visitors must abide.
It is the department's policy to use non-discriminatory language in all forms of internal and external communication. This includes, but is not limited to:
- correspondence
- publications
- posters
- departmental forms
- videos
- verbal communication with clients, employees, students and agents.
Discriminatory language can be either a form of discrimination or harassment that is unlawful under the Anti-Discrimination Act (1991). In addition, language used in written and verbal communication should be inclusive, that is, it should not distinguish on the basis of attributes specified in the Anti-Discrimination Act unless such distinctions are relevant and necessary.
Discrimination is not tolerated at Southbank Institute of Technology. The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of:
- sex
- marital status
- pregnancy
- breast feeding (in the area of goods and services only)
- age
- race
- impairment
- religion
- political belief or activity
- trade union activity
- lawful sexual activity
- association with, or relation to, a person identified on the basis of any of the above attributes.
Sexual harassment
The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act and the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act makes sexual harassment unlawful.
A person is sexually harassed if he or she feels frightened, offended, angry or humiliated by another person's behaviour that is sexual in nature. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of his or her sex or age.
Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome sexual attention. It may be sexual harassment when someone:
- stares or leers at a person
- persists in asking a person out after they have said no
- tells dirty jokes or displays offensive print material in a person's presence
- makes unwelcome comments about a person's sex life
- touches or brushes against a person on purpose
- tries to force a person to have sex.
Note: Sexual harassment does not apply to normal friendships or relationships based on mutual attraction. The attention must be unwarranted for it to be harassment.
A student who believes that he or she is being discriminated against should contact a counsellor or a workplace advice and referral network (WARN) officer.
Last updated 1 February, 2007