Counseling

The Student Counseling Service deals with the problems students may encounter in their campus life (scholastic performance, career, personal relations). Access is available through the Counseling Service to both counselors on the academic and administrative staff and contracted medical and legal counsel. In addition to counseling, other services, including training camp-style intensive seminars and sign language courses, are also offered through the Student Counseling Service.

Tama Campus

Respecting personal dignity, Chuo University declares that it will create and maintain a comfortable and supportive environment for education, research, and work.

Harassment is defined as any remarks or behavior by a member in the context of education, research and/or administration regarding other member' gender, sexuality,age, nationality, ethnicity, physical features, birthplace, family relations, occupation, faith, or other social status and personal characteristics, that result in disadvantage orharm to other members, and/or violate their personal dignity, against the will or agreement of other members.

In an educational, academic or work environment, harassment can be categorized into three types: sexual, academic and power harassment. However, the boundaries between these different types of harassment are not always distinct, since most harassment cases involve more than one type of harassment.

Academic Harassment

Discriminatory remarks or behavior by a member in a position of educational or academic authority, against the will or agreement of members in subordinate positions, that restrain their free academic study and research activities, impede these members in fulfilling their work responsibilities, and/or violate the individual’s personal dignity.

Examples:

•  An academic supervisor forcing a supervisee to handle his or her personal affairs or tasks that are unrelated to education or research; acting in a discriminatory manner and/or giving unfavorable evaluations when such demands are refused.
• Impeding another member’s academic research activities by disposing of or restricting the use of papers, books, materials, or equipment that are necessary for research, without legitimate reasons

Power Harassment

Abuse of supervisorial or managerial authority, or threats to damage the working environment, by a person in a higher position, who treats members in subordinate positions unfairly, causing them disadvantage, and/or violates their personal dignity.

Examples:

• Repeatedly mentioning failures or mistakes by someone of a lower status, and/or shouting at him or her in front of others
• Forcing members to drink alcohol at parties
• A group of members bullying a single individual

Sexual Harassment

Sexual remarks and/or behavior against the will or agreement of other members, which result in disadvantage and/or harm to them, or violate their personal dignity.

Examples:

• A supervisor frequently inviting a specific student to his or her office; forcing the student to accompany him or her to dinner after work and/or imposing physical contact
• Forcing a student to sit next to a faculty member in a club or seminar party; forcing him or her to pour drinks and to sing duets in karaoke
• Making remarks based on gender stereotypes, such as 'A man/woman should behave like this’
• Making obscene and/or sexual remarks about another individual’s appearance

Respecting personal dignity in accordance with the spirit of the Japanese Constitution, Chuo University (the University) has established these Guidelines for Harassment Prevention (the Guidelines) in order to create and protect an environment properly conducive to education, research, and other activities for its students, faculty, and administrative staff (members).

As an educational and research institution that aims to nurture human resources with humanity and global compatibility, the University recognizes its responsibility to build a community in which members treat one another with respect, and will strive to promote and protect a comfortable, harassment-free environment for education, research, and other activities. In order to do so, the University will make every effort to achieve the following: to enable its members to understand and follow the Guidelines; to build an environment in which its members feel comfortable to consult the Harassment Prevention Committee about harassment; and to take prompt and appropriate measures against harassment, including investigation, victim support, the prevention of future recurrence of harassment and the protection of privacy.
(From Chuo University Guidelines for Harassment Prevention)

If you feel that an act of harassment is being committed

It is not your fault if you are harassed, so please do not suffer in silence. The Chuo University Consultation Desks are there to help you.

• It is advisable to keep a detailed record of when and where the incident occurs, and what has been done to you. An accurate record of harassment enables swift resolution.
• It is also important to keep a record of all threatening or unpleasant emails, phone-calls, faxes, etc.
• Please consult the Harassment Consultation Desks before a situation becomes serious.

Any unwelcome remarks or behaviors that cause discomfort to other individuals may constitute harassment.

The following may all be recognized as harassment: repeating unwelcome demands of other individuals; causing or threatening to disadvantage them if the demands are refused; making unpleasant remarks or engaging in inappropriate behavior in situations where the other party, due to their inferior status, would find it difficult or impossible to say ‘No’.


If you feel uncomfortable, awkward, and/or threatened

Tell the person promptly and clearly that you feel uncomfortable to prevent or end harassment. In many situations your feelings will not be understood if you speak in an indirect manner. It is important to make clear what makes you feel uncomfortable and what you do not want done to you. However, it is not your fault if you have been harassed. If you find it difficult to express your feelings of discomfort because of your status, please ask for the support of people whom you can trust. Under certain circumstances, it may still be difficult to speak up. When you find it difficult to refuse something, or when the person in question does not stop their actions despite your requests, do not try to deal with the problem alone. Please consult someone you can trust, or visit a consultation desk of the Harassment Prevention Committee. Chuo University will provide support for you and work with you to solve any problem you might be facing.


If you witness an incident of harassment

• Ignoring incidents may result in further harassment. If possible, tell the person on the spot that he or she is committing harassment.
• Listen carefully to the harassed person. Tell him or her that they are not to blame.
• Ask the harassed person what he or she would like to do. You may advise the victim to visit the consultation desks of the Harassment Prevention Committee, and accompany him or her to them. You can also act as a witness in any subsequent investigation if needed.

Anyone may, albeit unconsciously, make inappropriate remarks or behave inappropriately in the eyes of others. Let us all be aware of the risks of harassment, and build relationships in which we can alert one another of acts of harassment.

Harassment Prevention Committee Support Desk

Tel: 042-674-3507
Email:harass-soudan-grp@g.chuo-u.ac.jp
Postal address: Chuo University Harassment Prevention Committee Support Desk
Higashinakano, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0393, Japan


Student Counseling Center

Tel: 042-674-3481 (Tama Campus)
Tel: 03-3817-1724 (Korakuen Campus)


Administration Offices at the Professional Graduate Schools

Tel: 03-5368-3516 (Chuo Graduate School of International Accounting)
Tel: 03-5368-3513 (Chuo Law School)
Tel: 03-3817-7484 (Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management)


Administration Office at the Chuo University

Distance Learning Division, Faculty of Law
Tel: 042-674-2341/2344