The University aspires to achieve an environment free of prohibited discrimination and harassment and to ensure respect for the core values of freedom of speech, academic freedom and freedom of research. The purpose of the Statement on Prohibited Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment is to promote a greater awareness of the rights and responsibilities entailed by these aspirations and to describe the manner in which the University deals with prohibited physical and verbal harassment (apart from harassment based on sex or on sexual orientation, which are dealt with in Policy and Procedures: Sexual Harassment).

The approach taken in the Statement is to reiterate the University's commitment to the rights of freedom from prohibited discrimination and harassment and to the rights of freedom of expression and inquiry, to recognize that the task of implementing and respecting those values within the unique environment of the University is a delicate one that precludes the use of blunt instruments, and to describe the responsibilities of various members of the University community and the institutional arrangements available to fulfill the commitment to a working and learning environment free from prohibited discrimination and harassment.