Title IX Coordinator Rebecca Hoda-Kearse Speaks on Harassment and Whistle-Blowing

Rebecca Hoda-Kearse

    Whistle-blowing and gender-based harassment issues face virtually every institution, and SUNY-ESF is no different. Rebecca Hoda-Kearse knows this intimately due to her role as the Title IX Coordinator at ESF where she oversees campus-wide reports of harassment. She met with the graduate student seminar “Perspectives on Career and Gender” last Wednesday, March 17 to kick off  series of in-class guest speakers and facilitate a conversation about gender discrimination. Hoda-Kearse spoke about Title IX legislation in place to prevent against gender discrimination, which states that no person shall be discriminated against or excluded from any educational program “on the basis of sex.” She went on to introduce the problem of structural power differences between men and other genders, and explained how unequal power relationships can become fertile ground for harassment (such as quid pro quo). Students then shared many personal experiences with discrimination, harassment, and assault. Unsurprisingly, everyone in the conversation had either experienced or knew someone personally who had experienced harassment. It was noted that men are rarely named as the most common perpetrators of violence and harassment - instead,  actions are often referred to passively, i.e. “violence against women.”

    At SUNY-ESF, students and employees have many options for reporting Title IX violations, including directly to Hoda-Kearse or through the “Resilient Oaks App." Reporters can choose to remain anonymous.

    

    Hoda-Kearse is the Title IX Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer at SUNY-ESF, working closely with the Offices of Student Life, Human Resources, and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. She oversees Title IX issues and reporting for the campus and manages discrimination-related complaints including sexual harassment.

Next up!

Next in the speaker series hosted by the Gender and Career seminar will be an installment of the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions (WiSE Professions) Speaker Sereis.   Melissa Cronin from UC-Santa Cruz will be discussing an innovative, interactive fieldwork bystander intervention training titled “Building A Better Fieldwork Future” she developed in collaboration with Dr. Roxanne Beltran and Dr. Erika Zavaleta of UCSC. All those who plan or participate in fieldwork, or are interested in fieldwork are encouraged to attend - registration is available at bit.ly/WiSEProfessions.

Perspectives on Career and Gender/WiSE Professions

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on speakers, both in class and in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Leah Prudent, graduate research assistant and PhD student, SUNY-ESF Department of Sustainable Forest Resources.