To: Ethel Cantu, President- Academic Senate
From: Deborah Huerta, Chair Academic Senate Committee on Harassment
The Charge to this committee from the President of the Senate was to:
1. Investigate the nature and extent of harassment (sexual, gender, misuse of power, etc) of faculty and students.
2. Identify appropriate educational materials and intervention strategies.
Committee Members: Domingo Molina, Renee Rubin, Mari Fuentes-Martin, Floyd Akers, Lynn Depeault, Gerald Hollier, and Deborah Huerta.
Harassment encompasses a vast range of behaviors and situations. In many instances harassment is a clear cut issue. There are many obvious violations of which employees need to be made aware. There are also many not so obvious violations or potentials for violations. It is the not so obvious areas that need to be explored with employees. With this in mind employees need to be fully informed of all behaviors that could be defined as harassment or could lead to the perception of harassment.
The committee would like to recommend that all employees of
the University attend presentations on ethical behavior every academic year. The presentations should be live and
interactive. The presenters should be representative
of the offices on campus who investigate harassment claims. To illustrate the
nature and volume of complaints, employees should receive a full report from
the UTB/
The presentation should include detailed and candid discussion of the obvious violations such as engaging in intimate relationships with students, sexual joking, and discrimination. While these violations seem obvious, employees may be surprised that several instances of obvious violations are reported each academic year.
The bulk of the presentation should focus on the misunderstood/unintentional violations. For instance, the employees need to know that false allegations are possible and to safe guard themselves they need to remove any room for vulnerabilities. For instance, employees should not touch students, should not provide students with personal contact information including home and private e-mail addresses, should not go out drinking with students, and should not give students money or transportation. In all of these situations the employee has made themselves vulnerable to a harassment complaint. Employees need to be informed that students have filed false allegations in the past to retaliate for some perceived wrong doing. Employees also need to be aware that the university takes all complaints very serious and they may have to defend and justify their actions not only to the administration but also a jury.
Finally, employees should be informed of the grievance and investigative protocol. They should be informed of their rights as an employee.