Topeka ? In the wake of last spring’s controversy over a Kansas University human sexuality class, the Kansas Board of Regents is looking at a broad anti-harassment policy for university campuses. The policy is in response to legislative orders to set guidelines for dealing with sexual harassment and the use of explicit materials.

The regents reviewed for the first time Thursday a proposal drafted by a task force of administrators, faculty and students and endorsed by the six state universities’ presidents.

The measure declares that students are entitled to “an atmosphere conducive to learning” and that no student should be forced to make “particular personal choices” by instructors. It also says that it is improper for instructors to persistently inject material that has no relationship to a course’s subject.

The policy also contemplates that students who object to teaching methods or course materials could file sexual harassment complaints with the university, or turn to administrators of academic programs.

The board plans to consider the policy during its meeting in December. A new policy must be in place by Jan. 12 under the legislative mandate.

“The Legislature has spoken, and we’ve responded,” said Regent Frank Gaines, of Augusta, a former state senator. “This hasn’t been easy.”

The proposed policy would not set specific guidelines about what constitutes sexual harassment, when sexually explicit materials may be used in human sexuality courses for undergraduates and how information about pedophilia is treated in such courses. Those topics were specifically mentioned in a provision in the state budget authored by Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita.

Wagle’s target was Professor Dennis Dailey and his human sexuality course at KU. She publicly accused Dailey of sexually harassing female students in the class, using “street language” and showing videos that would be “obscene” under Kansas law.

She later filed a complaint with the university. But in May, the university found no merit to Wagle’s complaint, though it did admonish Dailey to watch his language in class. Wagle called the university’s report a “whitewash.”

KU sex course to stay under watch (10-22-03)¢ More on the KU sex class controversy

James Coffman, Kansas State University’s provost, who presented the proposed policy to the regents, said it was a strong response because it gives students two ways to protest course materials or teaching methods.

He said the task force of administrators, students and faculty wanted the policy to be broad enough – Coffman called it “generic” – to avoid having to rewrite it repeatedly.

“Additional, specific issues could be brought to the fore at any time,” he said.