Report of the Panel on Sexual Harassment The Policy and Procedures concerning Sexual Harassment (adopted by the Council of the University Senate, May 8, 1990) require that an annual report be made to the council (1) describing the University’s program to prevent sexual harassment and (2) reviewing the incidents brought to the attention of the Sexual Harassment Complaint Advisors or the Panel on Sexual Harassment. This is the report for the year 1997–98. Prevention and Education The Sexual Harassment Complaint Advisors made a host of presentations on the subject of sexual harassment, about a dozen of which were to student groups. The balance were to student services administrators and faculty. It has become customary for Complaint Advisors to give presentations at many orientation programs for entering graduate students, tutors, and teaching assistants each fall. It has proven more difficult to reach faculty and academic staff effectively on this topic except through the pamphlet distribution. Although instances of sexual harassment at the University do occasionally arise, the students and staff who speak with Complaint Advisors seem reasonably well informed about the issues and their rights. Complaint Advisors informed themselves about the so-called date rape drugs and the pending legal decisions that could affect the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy or procedures. After seven years of successful operation, a sizable group of individuals who have completed a term as Complaint Advisors exists, translating into additional presentations, primarily to students, courtesy of these veterans. One goal of rotating individuals through two-year appointments as Complaint Advisors is to develop expertise and awareness among a growing number of individuals who will continue to benefit the University community long after the two-year term has expired. As in past years, the pamphlet, Sexual Harassment: What We Can Do, revised this past summer, was distributed in the autumn to all students and to faculty with a memo from the Provost. Dialogue continues between representatives of the Dean of Students Office and some students about how best to provide services and support to members of our community who are dealing with sexual assault and sexual harassment. The Complaint Advisors welcome suggestions about improving the handling of sexual harassment matters. Monthly meetings remain central to the Complaint Advisors’ efforts. There is a great deal of discussion about how the Advisors can effectively serve a community that is richly diverse culturally and in terms of sexual orientation. By sharing strategies that have helped resolve problematic situations, they benefit from each other’s experiences. This year invited speakers included the Student Ombudsperson, a representative from the Office of Legal Counsel, the Provost, the Coordinator of the Sexual Assault Dean-on-Call Program, and a representative from the Student Counseling and Resource Service, who shared their perspectives and expertise with the Complaint Advisors. Again this year new Complaint Advisors (six) began their terms in the Spring Quarter, doubling the training period before their official listing as a resource. Formal and Informal “Cases” Formal Again this year, no internal formal complaints against faculty members were brought before the Sexual Harassment Panel. The existence of this panel does not preclude an individual’s complaining to a department chair or dean, either of whom may recommend the same sanctions available to the panel. This year, a female graduate student reported to a faculty member that a male faculty member had made what she considered to be improper advances toward her. The dean promptly met with the faculty member, informed him of the reported behavior, and warned him that any such conduct was unacceptable and must stop. The student was counseled that she should notify the dean immediately if the faculty member attempted to contact her again. The student has not reported any further problem. There was one situation in which a male student became extremely drunk and made several sexually explicit comments to a female faculty member. A number of individuals witnessed the behavior. Staff members physically removed him from the premises. The next day he was informed of his behavior by a dean and told that even though he had already essentially completed his program, a complaint had been lodged. He was also instructed that if he did return to campus he was not to approach the faculty member again for any reason. Three female staff members brought a complaint against a male staff member for making repeated inappropriate comments, imposing his presence at the women’s workstations, and making a threatening remark to one of the women following her rebuff. An investigation found the complaints to be valid, and the male employee’s assignment was ended.
Informal A male faculty member reported that a female prospective employee made a series of attempts to force him to interact with her. She telephoned him a number of times at work and at home with statements about her attraction to him. The faculty member was advised to instruct the individual to refrain from telephoning him again, to inform her that he had reported her behavior to University officials, and to advise her to contact University Human Resources Management with any employment questions she had. There have been no further complaints. One female staff member reported to a Complaint Advisor that previously her faculty supervisor had made sexual advances, which she had declined. The faculty supervisor did not pursue the matter further, and there followed an extended period when no more inappropriate comments were made. The employee came to the advisor when the faculty member began giving her negative performance evaluations. The staff member was referred to University Human Resources Management who contacted her direct supervisor and made alternative arrangements for evaluation. The staff member has reported that she is satisfied with the alternate arrangement. Questions about Related Matters Current and former students, faculty, and staff consulted with Complaint Advisors on another fifteen matters. Typically, advice on next steps or approval of past efforts—rather than intervention—was sought and provided, and the individuals decided to proceed independently. Such conversations often help the individual examine the situation, weigh the alternatives, and decide on a course of action that brings the problem to a satisfactory resolution. Further assistance from the Complaint Advisors and the University is always available if a problem persists or resumes. Of the fifteen matters, about one-third involved peer-related concerns. Two of the others were third-party complaints brought by the spouse of a student and the supervisor of a staff member. In each case the individuals thought that the University should be notified of alleged past inappropriate behavior. Another complaint came from a student whose former partner did not want to discontinue their relationship, and she was referred to campus and city police departments. In two cases students made inappropriate demands on the time and attention of faculty by making repeated uninvited visits to their homes. Another half dozen matters involved hierarchical personnel problems of various sorts, all of which have been addressed satisfactorily by the principals themselves or with the assistance of an administrator or department chair. The balance of the incidents included a range of complaints, such as a student’s objection that a staff member loudly ridiculed same-sex displays of affection and two reports of harassing behavior that was not of a sexual nature. Members of the Panel on Sexual Harassment Kathleen Conzen, Chair Charles Cohen Anne Robertson Andrew Swartz, Student Ombudsperson, ex officio Aneesah Ali, Assistant Provost, ex officio
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