Sims Speaks on Title IX and Campus Safety

By Amberlyn Guzman, Forest Management, B.S. ‘28

Toyia Sims, interim Title IX Coordinator, led a powerful and informative discussion on Title IX and its role in preventing sexual harassment at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) on April 8, 2025, as part of the college's Perspectives of Career and Gender course in-class conversation section available to other student and faculty. The discussion was solely led by Sims.

Sims’s presentation offered a clear overview of Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. She explained how ESF implements Title IX policies to create a safe and inclusive learning and working environment. Through a combination of legal explanation, real-world examples, and discussion-based engagement, Sims highlighted the pathways available for students, faculty, and staff to report concerns, seek resources, and access support services confidentially.

The discussion emphasized the preventative aspects of Title IX compliance, including mandatory training, awareness campaigns, and responsive institutional processes that protect the rights and well-being of all campus members, while also allowing room for students to verbalize their questions and concerns about how Title IX operates.

The discussion ended with questions from Sims that highlighted the things we learned during the conversation of not just about Title IX, but also harassment and discomfort in professional settings, and how to identify, seek support, and take steps toward resolution and healing within a safe and respectful campus environment.

Toyia Sims earned a BA from Columbia College in 2002. She has been Senior Personnel Associate within ESF's Human Resources office since 2023.

For more information about, ESF's Title IX process, please visit https://www.esf.edu/administration/titleix. For upcoming public events, visit https://www.esf.edu/calendar/

As part of the requirements for FOR 797, Perspective on Career and Gender students share responsibility of reporting on a subset of class discussions.

 

All gender restroom now in Bray! (and a second one in Walters)

To the residents of Bray and Walters-

Consistent with ESF's commitment to diversity, to better accommodate our campus' demographics and in accordance with NYS 8 NYCRR Part 317, changes to existing toilet room designations are being made. We recognize that the changes noted below do not completely address this issue. This is a step towards improvements; additional changes will follow as more building project updates occur. The change is proposed for implementation this coming week.

 Bray Hall

The single occupant restroom at the basement level of this building will be designated an all-gender bathroom. [This restroom is not ADA accessible.]

Walters Hall

The single occupant restroom on the 4^th floor of this building will be designated an all-gender bathroom. [This restroom is accessible per ADA guidelines, as is the all gender restroom on the ground floor.  All Walters restrooms have at least one accessible stall].

Signage [has been posted will be posted shortly]  to indicate this change. This is only one step in a larger effort that will address this important issue throughout all ESF properties. 

Our campus has adopted a Bias Reporting tool that can be accessed through this link, https://www.esf.edu//ide/bias.php . The Bias Reporting System has the capability to report incidents anonymously, or not, and is a way for the campus to report incidents that occur. For your reference please see our NondiscriminationPolicy.

Questions and comments regarding these initiatives should be directed to Rex Giardine.

Erin Tochelli

Associate Director of Academic Administration
SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry 
Pronouns: she/her/hers

“The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground”

Harassment and Whistle-Blowing, insight from ESF's Title IX Coordinator

Rebecca Hoda-Kearse, Title IX coordinator at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), spoke to the graduate student seminar “Perspectives on Career and Gender” on March 8, 2022 to start the conversation of harassment and whistle-blowing that face all institutions. Hoda-Kearse spoke about how Title IX is used to prevent gender discrimination, which states that “on the basis of sex” no person shall be discriminated against from any educational programs. She continued to talk about other grounds harassment may start on such as quid pro quo in unequal power differences. Under her facilitation, students shared experiences that happened to themselves or others they know that had experienced harassment or discrimination. All students and facilitators were able to recall at least one moment of harassment. 

SUNY ESF has many options for reporting Title IX violations. This can be done by talking directly to
Hoda-Kearse or virtually though the “Resilient Oaks App" or at https://www.esf.edu/ide/bias.htm. Reporters can remain anonymous.  

Hoda-Kearse is the Title IX Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer at SUNY ESF, overseeing Title IX issues and reporting for the campus as well as discrimination related complaints including sexual harassment. She works closely with many offices including the offices of Student Life, Human Resources, and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.

Note:  Hoda-Kearse's was promoted to ESF's inagural Executive People Officer very soon after this presentation!  ESF's Title IX responsibilities remain under this umbrella, but Jules Findlay is Interim Affirmative Action Officer, serving in that capacity in addition to their duties in International Education.  Read more about this new campus position at https://www.esf.edu/communications/view2.asp?newsID=9974.

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on class discussions as well as on the speakers in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Katie McLaughlin, Sustainable Resources Management, M.S. May 2023.

Vera House resumes CAPT office hours in Centen

Vera House’s Campus Advocacy and Prevention Team will resume in-person office hours for all ESF students (Undergraduate and Graduate), Tuesdays, 3PM-6PM in Centennial Hall beginning November 2.  Students should check in at Centen’s front desk upon entry.

An advocate will be available to talk CONFIDENTIALLY about questions or concerns about sexual violence, partner violence, or stalking as well as reporting options and connections to support services.  Whether students have experienced something, or know someone who has, Vera House’s CAPT is there.  For more information about the Campus Project serving ESF, SU, LeMoynce, OCC and other institutions,  visit https://www.verahouse.org/campus-project, contact CAPT coordinator Chris Kosakowski at ckosakowski@verahouse.org or the Team CPTeam@verahouse.org.

For a printable display to hang on your door or bulletin board, or have visible during upcoming advising meetings,  click here.  

Vera House also offers a support line for all community members 24/7:   (315) 468-3260 (TTY for Deaf Community (315) 484-7263 during business hours).  In St Lawrence County (Ranger School), Renewal House’s crisis line (315) 379-9845 is staffed 24 hrs/day.

For more information about how ESF community members can #IdentifyInterpretIntervene and #ChooseAction, resources are available at https://linktr.ee/ESFchooseactionnetwork.  To get involved, contact  chooseaction@esf.edu, or the Choose Action Network Project Coordinator, Jennifer Keating, MSW, jkeating@esf.edu or 315-470-4867.

Interviewing: Moving Beyond the Resume

Dr. John Turbeville, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Director of Career Services at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, presented on Improving one’s interviewing skills on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 as part of SUNY ESF’s Perspectives of Career and Gender Spring Seminar Course. 

            Dr. Turbeville discussed interviewing statistics, common interviewing questions employers ask and how to answer them, tips for a successful interview and also highlighted on questions considered illegal during an interview. According to the statistics, 95% of employers say that they are still using resumes and cover letters as the primary medium for deciding who to interview. Dr. Turbeville stated that, employers actually google candidates to see what they learn and how what they are able to find influences negatively or positively, the perceptions of the candidate. During the seminar, we got to know most employers currently use Behavioral-based Interviewing (BBI). “BBI is a technique used in which the job candidate has the opportunity to demonstrate their potential for succeeding in the new job by providing specific examples of how they handled similar situations based on their past experience.” He emphasized the concept of “adaptability” and “creativity” is considered a great strength during interviews in this COVID-19 era. Students then shared their personal experiences with interviews.

Dr. Turbeville received his B.S. in Mathematics from SUNY Oswego, and his M.S. in Higher Education and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Syracuse University, Maxwell School.  He serves as Dean for Student Affairs and Director of Career Services at the State University of New York- College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  He is the President of SUNY Career Development Organization and a member of The National Career Development Association.

Next in the Gender and Career seminar will be a discussion on Diverse perspectives on gender and science by Dr. Lizette Rivera, Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at SUNY ESF. For more information about the presentation, contact Diane Kuehn, Associate Professor, at dmkuehn@esf.edu or Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu .

As part of the requirements of FOR 797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students take turns summarizing class discussions, for more information, visit: https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/Seminar.htm.   The above was prepared by Akosua Asabere, a MS student studying Natural Resources Management in the Department of Sustainable Resource Management.

Building a Better Fieldwork Future: Origins of a Program to Increase Safety in Science

Melissa Cronin

Despite field work being a longstanding practice in the sciences, concerns about sexual harassment and assault in field work has only entered the scientific community dialogue recently, spurred by studies showing that most field participants experience harassment as well as highly publicized cases in the media. This exposure has increased concern and communication around sexual harassment and assault in field-based science—which is second only to the U.S. military in terms of harassment prevalence—and consequently action to better respond to and prevent this phenomenon to make science safer and more inclusive. Melissa Cronin is one of three women who came together to address the latter appraoch and develop a program to prevent harassment. She recently spoke to an audience of faculty, staff, and students at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) via Zoom as part of the Women in Scientific & Environmental Professions (WiSE Professions) speaker series on March 31, 2021.

            Cronin began by addressing the unique challenges presented by field work, including limited outside communication and ways to leave, close quarters, power asymmetry, and interactions with non-group members, among others. After addressing the recently acknowledged prevalence of harassment and assault in field work, Cronin explained that an effective way to prevent these instances from occurring is to address the “organizational climate”, or the shared collective norms and values of an organization or setting. This motivation, to change organizational climate, drives the program she co-developed with Drs. Roxane Beltran and Erika Zavaleta called Building a Better Field work Future: Preventing & Managing Sexual Harassment & Assault in Field Science, or BBFF for short.

click image to view video

            BBFF is a 90-minute, highly interactive workshop that has now been conducted for over 800 participants across many institutions, including some in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria. This program provides examples of tangible policies that institutions can adopt relating to harassment prevention, intervention, and response, such a developing a code of conduct or community agreement (prevention), hosting bystander intervention training (intervention), or implementing zero-tolerance policies (response). This workshop then leads participants through four scenarios increasing in severity and encourages participants to “think out loud” and discuss solutions to these scenarios, keeping in mind that there may be no “right answer.” With an intentionally positive and empowering tone, this workshop helps participants prepare for their field season and become aware of issues and experiences they were not aware of before.

            The popularity of BBFF has grown considerably, and assessments indicate that the highly rated workshop is increasing participants’ knowledge and confidence in these issues. BBFF has become so popular and in high demand that they have implemented a new “Train the Trainers Facilitator Program”, which trainers other individuals, who so far have come from a wide range of disciplines and career stages, to host these BBFF workshops elsewhere. Cronin and her colleagues have also made resources widely available and hope to contribute to a more inclusive cultural shift that values prevention of these issues.

            Melissa Cronin is a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz, where she studies mapping and mitigating marine fisheries bycatch as a member of the Conservation Action Lab. Prior to her graduate studies, Cronin worked as an environmental journalist covering climate, politics, and wildlife crime, with stories appearing in The New York Times and Popular Science, among other outlets.

            BBFF is coming to SUNY ESF on April 15^th from 7:00-8:30 pm, for those who are interested in experiencing this interactive workshop. This workshop, the next installment in the WiSE Professions speaker series, will be led by Dr. Amanda Adams, Conservation Research Program Manager, Bat Conservation International and Lecturer, Biology, Texas A&M University. Space is still available; sign up 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 byJenna Zukswert, graduate research assistant and PhD student, SUNY-ESF Department of Sustainable Forest Resources.

Today! Building a Better Training Program for Field-Based Studies

WiSE Professions will feature Building a Better Fieldwork Future, in two independent but related sessions.   “Fieldwork is an essential component of training and research in many scientific disciplines. However, the imbalanced power structure of academia coupled with the remote and informal nature of field sites heightens risks of sexual harassment and assault during fieldwork, especially for women and other at-risk groups. Limited existing research suggests that incidents are widespread and insufficiently addressed by protocols developed for office and classroom settings.” 

Scenario-Based Bystander Training to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Assault in Field Settings. On March 31, 3:45-4:45 pm EST in conjunction with the Perspectives on Career and Gender graduate seminar, Melissa Cronin, University of California, Santa Cruz, will discuss the development, evolution and assessment of the 90-minute  workshop she, Roxanne Beltran and Erika Zavaleta  developed with support of the Thoreau Foundation and Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-based Opportunities (CAMINO).  The program has expanded to include 28 trainers at 8 other institutions.  

Workshop:  Building a Better Fieldwork Future: Preventing & Managing Sexual Harassment & Assault in the Field Science. On April 15, 7-8:30 pm EST (some seats still available),  certified trainer Dr. Amanda Adams, Conservation Research Program Manager, Bat Conservation International and Lecturer, Biology, Texas A&M University, will introduce “the unique risks posed by fieldwork and offer a suite of evidence-based tools to prevent, intervene in, and respond to sexual harassment and assault. A series of practical intervention scenarios, the workshop guides participants on how to be an active and engaged bystander, report incidents, and plan field settings to minimize risk. Armed with these tools, participants can play a role in ensuring that field settings are safer, more equitable, and more welcoming for the next generation of field scientists.“ 

 Full abstracts and Registration links for both are available at:  bit.ly/WiSEProfessions

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.

WiSE Professions in STEM fields, and in the field.

Explore career path, and the critical importance of empowered bystanders in field-based education and research through the 2021 Women in Scientific Professions Speaker Series.  

On March 11,  ESF Women in STEM Fields, the ESF Alumni Association will celebrate Women's History Month with a career path panel discussion (1-2 pm EST, Join Session) featuring some of many recent alumnae working in STEM fields. Panelists include Aislinn Brackman '13 (Paper Engineering), Change Agent/Continuous Improvement Specialist, von Drehle Corporation; Olivia Liu '15 (Landscape Architecture), Assistant Landscape Architect, New York City Parks; Hilary Niver-Johnson '11 (Environmental Science), Proprietor, Sustainable Viticulture Systems; Emily Thiel '14 (Environmental Communications), Education and Outreach Coordinator, WNY Prism.   This session is a collaboration of the Alumni Association, Career Services, Admissions, and ESF Women's Caucus, for current ESF students and employees as well as for prospective and incoming students. 

WiSE Professions will then shift focus to those planning, training, and conducting field research with Building a Better Fieldwork Future, in two independent but related sessions.   “Fieldwork is an essential component of training and research in many scientific disciplines. However, the imbalanced power structure of academia coupled with the remote and informal nature of field sites heightens risks of sexual harassment and assault during fieldwork, especially for women and other at-risk groups. Limited existing research suggests that incidents are widespread and insufficiently addressed by protocols developed for office and classroom settings.” 

·        Scenario-Based Bystander Training to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Assault in Field Settings. On March 31, 3:45-4:45 pm EST (PLEASE REGISTER HERE), in conjunction with the Perspectives on Career and Gender graduate seminar, Melissa Cronin, University of California, Santa Cruz, will discuss the development and assessment of the 90-minute  workshop she, Roxanne Beltran and Erika Zavaleta  developed with support of the Thoreau Foundation and Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-based Opportunities (CAMINO).  The program has expanded to include 28 trainers at 8 other institutions.  

·        Workshop:  Building a Better Fieldwork Future: Preventing & Managing Sexual Harassment & Assault in the Field Science. On April 15, 7-8:30 pm EST (Please Register here; note space is limited),  certified trainer Dr. Amanda Adams, Conservation Research Program Manager, Bat Conservation International and Lecturer, Biology, Texas A&M University, will introduce “the unique risks posed by fieldwork and offer a suite of evidence-based tools to prevent, intervene in, and respond to sexual harassment and assault. A series of practical intervention scenarios, the workshop guides participants on how to be an active and engaged bystander, report incidents, and plan field settings to minimize risk. Armed with these tools, participants can play a role in ensuring that field settings are safer, more equitable, and more welcoming for the next generation of field scientists.  

This workshop will bookend a series that launched during the winter break with a screening of  Picture a Scientist, in which “(b)iologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories to spectacular field stations, we encounter scientific luminaries - including social scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists - who provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all.” The screening culminated in a discussion January 21 with Dr. Mary Collins (Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies), Jennifer Keating (Project Coordinator, Choose Action Network); Nicole Williams '05 (Finance & Operations Director, Ocean Outcomes) and Rebecca Hoda-Kearse (Title IX/Affirmative Action Officer), moderated Dr. Malika Carter, Chief Diversity Officer.  Screening and panel were presented by the ESF Alumni Association in collaboration with the Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity; ESF Women's Caucus; and the Choose Action Network

The WiSE Professions Speaker Series is a program of the ESF Women’s Caucus, presented by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with the assistance of other groups and offices across campus.  For more information, contact Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu.  

ESF’s bathroom signage and menstrual product initiatives shared at SUNY Spectrum conference

“You saved my life: Restroom Stories of Safety and Survival - Messaging, Hygiene Products & Prophylactics” was recorded during the 3^rd annual SUNY SPECTRUM Conference, August 26, 2020.  Staff at ESF (Sue Fassler, Jules Findlay, and Heather Engelman), SUNY Upstate (Cristina Pope and Mattie Cerio), or both (Dr. Malika Carter) discussed menstrual product distribution, signage in bathrooms, and single stall and ADA accessible restrooms, as well as the lactation rooms on both campus—and normalizing the conversations about all these things. Upstate staff shared information about wudu stations, their distribution of complimentary prophylactic products, and how all of these impact their clinical Health Equity Index rating while ESF folks spoke about the unique challenges of field work.  The presentation shares some data and photos compiled by members of the ESFWomen listserv, as well as work that moved forward because they kept asking questions. 

One of the most important commitments we can make in supporting a culture of belonging on our campuses is to provide safe restrooms. Join us as we share our successes and failures with leadership buy-in, messaging, restroom renovations, signage, and complimentary hygiene and prophylactic products.

Learning Objectives:

• Practical knowledge of project planning steps in creating ALL Gender restrooms
• Practical knowledge on communicating and celebrating successes
• Learn how to implement a complimentary hygiene product service
• Learn how to implement a complimentary prophylactic service

Convener:

• Karren Bee-Donohoe  (She, Her, Hers), Associate Vice Chancellor, SUNY Office for Capital Facilities

Speakers:

• Malika Carter (She, Her, Hers), Chief Diversity Officer, Environmental Science and Forestry and Interim Chief Diversity Officer, Upstate Medical University
• Mattie Cerio (She, Her, Hers), Medical Social Worker & LGBT Program Manager, Upstate Medical University
• Heather Engelman (She, Her, Hers), Instructional Support Technician, Environmental Science and Forestry
• Sue Fassler (She, Her, Hers), Sustainable Facilities Manager, SUNY ESF 
• Jules Findlay, Coordinator of Education Abroad, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Rebecca Hoda-Kearse (She, Her, Hers), Title IX / Affirmative Action Officer, College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Cristina Pope (She, Her, Hers), Director, Health Sciences Library Upstate Medical University
• Carl A. Thomas Jr (He, Him, His), Interim Affirmative Action Officer & Supplier Diversity Coordinator, SUNY Upstate Medical University 

Support Participation and Advancement of Women in STEMM

On Women's Equality Day (today), National Academies reminds academia to  “continue to drive bias, discrimination, and harassment out of our institutions and society. Despite decades of research, funding, and programs dedicated to increasing the representation of women in science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and medicine, the numbers, particularly in leadership roles, have remained low or stagnant in many fields, especially among women of color. Our [free, downloadable] reports explore the wide range of structural, cultural, and institutional patterns of bias, discrimination, and inequity that affect women, and the steps that can be taken to increase representation in STEMM.”  Historically, these materials are promoted most heavily to marginalized groups.  However, those impacted most negatively by marginalization cannot fix the bias, or the culture that penalizes them for asking, by themselves.   

We all have a role in creating, and maintaining an inclusive, equitable work and learning environment.  Our students learn not only from course content, but by the examples set by faculty, staff and administration in their classroom and team management, policies, and mentorship models.  NAP titles include:  Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Opening Doors (2020); Seeking Solutions: Maximizing American Talent by Advancing Women of Color in Academia: Summary of a Conference (2013); Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2018), The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM (2019), and Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (2007).  These, and other reports and proceedings under heading of “women and minoritites”, are available to read online or download here.  Some titles are also available for purchase in ebook or print editions.

Some strategies suggested in these reports include:

• Networking and group mentoring for those in marginalized groups.  The ESF Women’s Caucus will be continuing its networking coffee breaks virtually this fall.  Please let us know your availability and a little bit about you  at  https://forms.gle/2xEqkXLSjzsDbPKx7  Also stay tuned for information from the IDE Committee/OIDE about affinity groups for students, and those newly forming for faculty and staff.
• Recognize that balancing work and family is a universal challenge, with potential impact on retention, equity and quality of work life.  The ESF Women’s Caucus, therefore, invites all caretakers (of children, parents, friends) to subscribe to FamilyResources to share resources, family friendly events on or off campus, or to request information from other list members.  To subscribe, email: listserv@listserv.syr.edu and leave the subject line blank, and message of:  SUBSCRIBE familyresources FirstName LastName.

In addition, the Association of American Medical Colleges Gender Equity Lab (GEL)  also invites registration for its upcoming webinar, Community Call: Creative Strategies to Address the Gendered Impact of COVID-19, September 3, 2020
3-4pm ET, With so many personal and professional changes to our lives as a result of the pandemic, more attention must be paid to how these changes disproportionately impact women, especially women of diverse backgrounds. During this community call, hosted by GWIMS, discuss with your colleagues creative solutions to the gendered impact of COVID such as caregiving and dependent care issues, working remotely, virtual practices and other topics – this call is open to all. [GEL] recently launched … to assist members with these emerging issues and more calls can be scheduled to meet the needs of the community and share resources. REGISTER.   Submit your questions and resources to discuss on the call.  Questions? Contact Rebekah Corlew or Diana Lautenberger

"The Environmental Implications of Interstate 81: Past, Present and Future Plans for I-81"

ESF's Environmental & Social Justice Lecture Series continues Tuesday, Mar 3, at 11am in ESF's Gateway Center, with "The Environmental Implications of Interstate 81." 

Lanessa Chaplin, Project Counsel for the NY Civil Liberties Union will catch us up on "Past, Present and Future Plans for I-81" and facilitate the discussion.  

Lunch provided

Co-sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, the President’s Office, the Undergraduate Student Association and the Department of Environmental Studies

Information on menstrual products in more ESF restrooms

Shared via "CampusNews"

Dear ESF Campus Community,

Over winter break, the Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Committee worked with the Facilities Department to provide free menstrual products in every restroom on campus. These products have previously been available in women’s restrooms, but have now been placed in men’s and all-gender restrooms as well. A list of locations of women’s, all-gender, single-occupant, and accessible restrooms is available from the ESF Women’s Caucus: https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/documents/bathrooms.pdf.

The reasoning behind placing menstrual products in all restrooms is simple: there are people on our campus who find themselves in need of these products, and they should have easy access to them. The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) states that all restrooms may be used by any person regardless of gender identity or expression. Women are not the only people who menstruate, and people of all genders should be able to access menstrual health products in any restroom they enter.  The products are in small bins with lids, and can be easily avoided by those who are not in need of them.

One question that has been posed to the Committee is whether these products should be limited to the all-gender restrooms on campus. All-gender restrooms are very limited on campus; some buildings don’t have any, or lack quickly navigable paths to those in other buildings.  Timing access to these products when needed for ¼ of each month can be a challenge.  If any period is extra heavy, or a person also has a mobility challenge or an extra time constrained schedule, the difficulty to reach an all-gender restroom would be far greater. Many folks who menstruate have preferred products and will only be using what’s in the baskets when they don’t have time or funds to get what works best for them. Lacking access to these products can negatively impact access to education and to work.

The IDE Committee is proud to be part of this initiative to promote equitable access to necessary health products for our entire campus community.

For more information on this and other inclusion, diversity, and equity initiatives, please visit www.esf.edu/ide. Additional information and resources regarding GENDA can be found via the New York Transgender Advocacy Group website at https://www.nytag.org/genda. Any questions, concerns, or ideas can be addressed to [revised contact: Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu]. 

Best,

Jules Findlay (they/them)

Coordinator of Education Abroad

Office of International Education

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

9 Old Greenhouse · 1 Forestry Drive · Syracuse, NY 13210

https://www.esf.edu/studyabroad/

Sexual Harassment can cost NAS membership

The National Academy of Sciences now has a way to expel harassers, as well as perpetrators of scientific misconduct, reported Megan Theilking of Statnews  “Under the new amendment announced [June 3, 2019], NAS will allow people to present evidence that a member of the prestigious scientific organization has violated its code of conduct, which prohibits discrimination, harassment, and scientific misconduct. The 17-person governing council will then vote on whether to expel that member. Up until now, there hasn’t been a way to revoke lifetime membership.”

NAS itself reports “the amendment was approved by a large margin, with 84% voting for the amendment.” 

Where Science and Policy Meet: the Career of an EPA Scientist

In Adventures at the Science-Policy Interface, Dr. Brooke Hemming, Sr. Physical Scientist, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), gave the “lecture I wished I’d heard as a graduate student.” Dr. Hemming discussed the role scientists play in public policy, developed through her exemplary work with the interdisciplinary team charged with establishing the scientific foundation for “criteria” air pollutant limits via synthesis of data with emergent understanding of atmospheric science and the acute and long-term impacts of exposure to human health and ecosystems. But she also used the Thursday, March 28, 2019 Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions lecture to outline different science career paths and preparatory opportunities. 

Dr. Hemming first discussed four main career areas for a professional in the sciences: 1) academic research, 2) non-profit research, assessment, and advocacy, 3) government research and/or assessment, and 4) government policy analysis and/or development. On the subject of her career area (government research and/or assessment), she acknowledged that her projects and deadlines are pre-determined for her, and that her work is subject to considerable public scrutiny because she is a public servant.

Dr. Hemming offered the advice that when choosing a career path, ask yourself three things:

1)     What are your talents and skills?

2)     What do you want to be doing on most days of your week?

3)     Own who you are, what you have to offer, and what you need to be happy before you start making major career decisions.

Dr. Hemming advised those interested in environmental policy is to learn the issues of most concern to science advocates, and to take advantage of education-oriented opportunities to work directly with policymakers. 

Dr. Hemming went on to talk about an organization she has previously worked, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and her time as an Environmental Science and Policy Fellow at the organization. Over the course of her time at the AAAS, she visited countries like Mexico and Russia to meet with members of government and local scientists to discuss the state of the climate in those countries.

The next part of Dr. Hemming’s lecture was on the role of the EPA in policy formulation, which includes: 1) responding to Congress and 2) assessing & reporting on the state of the science relevant to environmental policy. She described the role of Congress as having the power to confirm the EPA leadership, set budgets for the EPA, and create new offices within the agency. She gave an example of a report to Congress she had worked on, regarding assessment of black carbon particulate matter.

The National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) is the division of the EPA that primarily handles assessment of the science relevant to environmental policy. As a member of the NCEA staff, Dr. Hemming works to provide the interface between 3 groups employed in the fields of policy and science: 1) researchers in other parts of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, 2) the larger scientific community who generate new findings and data that inform policy, and 3) the regulators in the EPA’s regional offices (e.g. the Office of Air and Radiation) who use that data to make decisions to protect public health and the environment. She went on to describe the Clean Air Act of 1970, which called for upper limits on ambient concentrations of 6 criteria air pollutants (ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and lead), and its influence on her work. Dr. Hemming’s office publishes its work as Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs) that summarize the most policy-relevant science, particularly regarding assessment of risk to human health, and the ISAs are made available to the public online.

Dr. Hemming concluded her lecture by providing a list of important skills that she believes are not usually developed in graduate school, but that are essential for entering the workforce:

1)     humility (being willing to learn from your co-workers)

2)     collaborative problem-solving (as collaboration is required for all “fully-effective solutions”)

3)     self-awareness (knowing your own shortcomings, and how they affect your interactions with co-workers and shareholders)

4)     listening to your shareholders and partners (“listen dynamically”, be engaged, sympathetic)

5)     work-life balancing (realizing that although graduate school doesn’t encourage a balanced life, you need to find a way to set aside time to take care of yourself)

Since 2002, Dr. Brooke Hemming has worked in Air Quality assessment at the Research Triangle Park campus of the US EPA. Her training began at a community college, continued at UC Berkeley and work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Her doctoral research at Stanford University was conducted at the NASA-Ames Research Center and the Molecular Physics Laboratory at SRI International. Her post-doc in atmospheric aerosol thermodynamics was completed at the CA Institute of Technology, and was followed by a fellowship at AAAS.  Since joining the EPA, she has received multiple awards for her work on NAAQS reviews, and a gold medal for her leadership and co-authorship of the assessments that formed the basis of the Carbon Dioxide Endangerment finding that CO₂ is a harmful pollutant. She is the editor of a new book series, Climate and Policy, under the Anthem Press Environmental and Sustainability Initiative, and has served for several years as a technical advisor on the Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research Program Resource Conservation and Resiliency Technical Committee, and as an advisor on the North Carolina State Climate Change and Society Program Advisory Board. She has also served as a science advisor to Paperhand Puppet Intervention.

Dr. Hemming’s lecture was co-sponsored by ESF’s Department of Chemistry and the ESF Women’s Caucus. For more information about the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Lecture Series, the upcoming (4/25) presentation by Denise Breitberg, Smithsonian Ecological Research Center, please visit: https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/speakers.htm.  

As part of the requirements for FOR496/497 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share responsibility for reporting on presentations in the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series. The preceding was prepared by Anuli Onwumelu, a MS student in the Forest and Natural Resources Management’s Ecology and Ecosystems program of study.

A Convening of Leaders in Academia to Prevent Sexual Harassment Webcast: November 9, 2018

…[M]ore rapid and sustained progress … is jeopardized by the persistence of sexual harassment and its adverse impact on women’s careers in … colleges and universities.

On November 9, 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offered a convocation on developing and implementing policies, procedures, and practices to prevent sexual harassment in academia. Building on the recommendations in the recent report Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Science, Engineering, and Medicine, this event brough together academic leaders, Title IX and diversity officers, ombudsmen, researchers in sexual harassment, and leaders from professional societies, foundations, and federal agencies to discuss strategies and share promising practices. Summary of, and images from, the webcast sessions follow.

Opening Remarks from National Academies Leadership

Frazier Benya, Senior Program Officer

NSF was lead sponsor, joined by NASA, NIH, NIST and others, representatives from many here today as funders also have role to play.  Encourage to strive to create a culture where it stopped before it starts.

Victor Dzau, President, NAM

Academies bring together experts to evidence-based advice. Report has already spurred action among a number of organizations.  Each of the Academies is now examining its own policies and procedures and defining codes of conduct.  Report found that issues aren’t limited, absolutlely must change to prevent women from continued to be bullied out of carreer paths, and to protect integretity of institutions.  IF take a public health approach, need to address culture and climate that allow SH to continue.  Medical encourages that some discomfort is to be expected, therefore reluctance to come forward. 

Dan Mote, NAE.  Engineering has long struggled to find talented people to study.   To this end, working to increase recruitment of women, but progress has been too slow. SH is a serious impediment, plus morally reprehensible in the first place.  Cannot reach full potentional in engineerring or are pushed out all together.  Must implement system wide change.  Firmness on this matter is mandatory for future of engineering.  IEEE Spectrum Op-Ed, enthusiatic endorsed by editorial team.  “Will and need to make substational changes are here, so lets do it. “

Myth Busting: responding to the most common misperception[s] about sexual harassment

Kathryn Clancy, Associate Prof. of Anthropology, U Illinois; Lilia Cortina, Prof. of Psychology & Women’s Studies, UMich; Vicki Magley, Professor of Psychology, UConn

Figure 1. https://www.nap.edu/visualizations/sexual-harassment-iceberg/ 

  

Myth:  misplaced romantic feeling, physical SH is worst type

Sexual harassment (SH) omes in three forms:

• sexual coercion (SC), e.g., quid pro quo, stereotypical “sleep with me or fired”
• unwanted sexual attention  (USA), i.e., touching, hugging, repeated requests for dates or kisses, sometimes assault
• gender harassment (GH), “a broad range of verbal and nonverbal behaviors not aimed at sexual cooperation but that convey insulting, hostile, and degrading attitudes” that convey that women don’t belong or aren’t smart enough to succeed, also sabotage.    Not about romance or conquest.  About contempt. 

 Only 37% of women faculty hadn’t experienced any SH in the two years prior to survey.  Most experienced some type of GH.  GH is the most common form of SH encountered by women students.  GH rates vary by discipline, and medicine encourters most.  Engineering experinces more sexist GH.  Think of it like an iceberg (see image).    Put downs (and out), not come ons.   SH because based on sex or gender.  Is it true that verbal harassment is not nearly as “bad” as physical?  None of assumptions held up to scientific scrutiny (See Figure 2).

While SC and USA lead to more lawsuits and bad publicity, they are low frequency.  GH is pervasive.

Myth:  SH is no big deal, but false accusations are a big deal (see next paragraph for this part).

Can’t you just suck it up?  No.  Rude behaviors of malicious intent are directed more at women

of color.  Low level, unchallenged behaviors have a massive cumulative effect.   Looked at impact of being the “only.”  We have to hire more…., but have to keep up our standards?  Implies the Other person there is not => internal gaslighting. Uncertainty permeates.  When not the Only, develop meta awareness and cognition that it’s not them.  Students ARE standing up for faculty and checking in on them, but what does that say about the institution that they are the only ones that do? 

Fig 2.  Impact of gender harassment on health and satisfaction.

Myth: False accusations are a really big deal.  They do happen, but do so in every type of crime.  Why do we care so much more about false accusations here?  How much effort is put into questioning credibility of robbery victims?  2-8% of reports are false, while 14-40% of men are sexually harassed in the workplace, so men are far more likely to be a victim of harassment themselves than to be falsely accused!!!

False reporting red flags:  know accuser, have prior relationships, no severe, young victim, inconsistent details.  What science tells us is that these are normative! 

When over worry about false reports, results in poorer mentoring—leads to closed door meetings, failure to engage students, one on one conversations, treating women differently.   Can also make you a bad administrator, as bad risk management to avoid perpetrator lawsuits rather than future victim lawsuits. 

Myths:  there are Magic bullets to try to fix the situations

Harassment Reporting:  If institution gets it right, investigates perfectly, then will end SH affliction!   So, if really happened, will report, and no negative ramifications-not scary, or hard.  Research doesn’t support.  In reality, SH reporting is a LAST resort.   Most likely to Avoid, seek social support, relabel, appease harassers, self-blame, endure, deny.  Across 20 years:  formal reporting remains about 6%.  Hasn’t increased with empowerment of women, so should we focus here?  Research on labeling of SH experiences.  Assume people are naming behavior as SH, but most are not.  Does labeling matter?   Yes (see Fig 3), but focusing on the experiences is more important that reporting or the label.  Relevant facts:  both professional and social retaliation (see Table).  Fear of retaliation is the #1 reason not to report.  

Fig. 3    

Relevant Fact:  Reporting can breed retaliation
Professional Retaliation	Social Retaliation
Given less favorable job duties	Shunned or excluded by others at work
Unfairly demoted	Slighted or ignored by others at work
Denied a promotion I deserved	Gossiped about in an unkind way
Denied an opportunity for training I deserved	Threatened
Given unfair poor job performance appraisals	Criticized for complaining about the situation
Transferred to a less desirable job	Blamed for the situation
	Considered a troublemaker
Cortina &Magley (2003, Jn Occupational Health Psy) (Note: table text has been transcribed from a photo)

Myth:  training is the other silver bullet.  Because WE care, our training works. Because we have low reports, must be working. One and done!  Lots of  support for training,  Very little published on training efficacy.  Training increases certainty, but not percentage of correct responses to knowledge questions.  Only one question that trained people did do better:  on legality.   Untrained people are more likely to say “I don’t know.”  Trained were more certain that they answered right, even though they scored the same.  They are slightly more likely to response that SH is trivial and expect false/exaggerated reports.  What we want is for behaviors to cease.   

Employee cynicism matters. 

Employees are good at sniffing out when only directed at compliance, which affects perceptions of tolerance.  Need to work on best approaches, assessing impact, reducing cynicism.

Questions:  As long as institutions aren’t paying women as much as men, how are men expected to respect us as much?  Uncertain how to respond, because Amen.  Pay inequity is an example of GH.  Data based on the people still there, but doesn’t capture those lost (lost willingly or fired in retaliation). 

Reporting is necessary, but insufficient, puts excessive burden on victims, and ignores their (justifiable!) fears.  Need to dispel belief that it is only appropriate for most egregious acts, set appropriate sanctions and enforce.

Labelling of behavior—“I would never grope, etc.” without recognizing that they engage in “put down” behaviors.  Absolutely don’t want SC and unwanted sexual attention, but also need to deal with rest of the iceberg.  Remediation doesn’t need to be limited to those things above the bar of legal definition of SH. 

Trainings that allow for more perspective taking, theater based, are more impactful than online knowledge based. 

Glad we did this first today, as first thing need to deal with!  Need to consider retaliation aspect more—who happens to, and when.  Happening as a deterrent, before and during reporting as well as after.  Institutions haven’t figured out best practices to intervene.  Much of the time its social retaliation-shut out, shunned.  And institutions don’t know what to do about those.  Example of a successful practice:  At moment of report, management team should set up a non-retaliation plan.  Not much on best practices:  hope  afternoon sessions (not webcast) will address. When universities respond, there is a large swell of volunteers.  And perpetrators situate themselves in on those committees.  Make look like good apples when not.  Shift framework.    Workforce and pipeline development:  anecdotally, hear that women can be harder than men on bringing certain subjects forward.  Is there a real difference? Anyone is capable of harm; women also soak up the lessons of patriarchy and culture norms.  May push women to complete studies faster and get out situation, rather than fixing the situation.  For women, 98% of perpetrators are men.  For men, ~50%.  Which doesn’t bear out that women are harder on women than men are. 

Title IX coordinators are working within a troubled construct to begin with-recommendations are ignored.   Livelihoods and careers of the victims are on the line.  Google last two cases at Univ of Illinois, didn’t rise to legal threshold but sanctions recommended, but were not levied.    Think of Title IX—think legal, investigation, adjudication, not the counseling concerns and mental health ramifications.  PhD student—if I go forward with complaint against renowned scientist, my own future screwed.   Training slides were disheartening!  If more and more training, will you still see?  Look at what is significant difference.  When focusing on prevention and leadership responses, will see.  Right now, going through traumatizing experience that often doesn’t help the victim.  Diffusing the power network for the student also improves outcomes. 

Moving Beyond Legal Compliance and Toward Prevention 

Lynn Pasquerella, President, Association of American Colleges and Universities; Lorelle Espinosa, Assistant VP, Center for Policy Research and Strategy; Lorelle Espinosa, Vice President for Research, American Council on Education; Kimberlee Eberle-Sudre, Director of Policy Research, Association of American Universities; Kacy Redd, Assistant Vice President of STEM Education Policy, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

At doctoral granting institutions, 20% have women presidents, considerably less than percentage at all US colleges and universities. When you look at all institutions, only 5% of presidents are women of color.  Looking for parity by 2030, to move on action rather than just talking about it.  Do we actually have data that women presidents do better?  NSF INCLUDES research.  Diversifying faculty remains a concern. 

AACU.  Results of undergraduate student surveys were sobering, showing much higher rates of assault than had official reporting mechanisms.  “I don’t report because I don’t know where to go.” 

How do organizations support change makers?  APLU has been action oriented, bringing institutions together to work.  Bringing in more diverse faculty.  Look at institutional culture to be more welcoming and supportive. Hiring faculty that support that.  Looking at intervention.  Looking at bias training in search committees, how are you using exit interviews.  Each institution has a plan to work through.  How are you connecting these?  Some institutions looking at departmental climates.   Regional summits and moving to online formats to deliver content to people wherever they are.  Bring disparate leaders together to do situational and table top discussions.   Campuses are more comfortable with diversity conversations than equity, as they don’t understand what that means. Have been looking at things as if they don’t permeate classroom environment.    Don’t want to “unnecessarily lengthen the syllabus.”  People don’t see themselves as fundamentally part of the picture.  Its other people. But It is part of the learning environment.    Microaggressions—address in the moment or after class?  Need strategies.  LGBT+ students experienced the most harassment.  80% of schools said they “changed it” for a specific populations.  Not all inclusive.  Leadership on campus can do a lot through rhetoric, accountability and monetarily.  More we can equip graduate students with the skills to be compassionate faculty members, those are game changers.  Networks, need to be top down.   Reaching into disciplinary societies.  Need to include all levels in the conversation. 

Questions:  Structures to address are institution based.  But experience and research show that local institutions are not equipped to deal across all interactions.  Are there opportunities among your organizations to develop a collaborative system to investigate, something that institutions could buy into? You are talking to many different layers.   An independent entity that could adjudicate?  Sounds really smart.  EEOC.  Grants and agencies also hold people accountable. Think critically important not to impose hetero/cis paradigm.  What do we do with larger community issues?  Leaked memo from NYT that defines biological sex.  All of the panel organizations have an advocacy role.  Campuses can set the tone and ensure it permeates through campus.  Modeling dialog, empowering student voices.  What is the role of the Offices of General Counsel?  They can be conservatizing.  They provide info on the law, but can also provide us with info of what we see in our job.  Former General Counsel in audience shared personal story:  asked who is the client?  Was fired for asking for an GC investigation.  What role has GCs played to make sure past crimes were not shared with the public? 

Try to find institutions that are ahead of the pack, and nucleate others around them. Are we putting as much energy into proactive measures?  SH is about power.  What are other places doing about relating to SH intervention?  Compounded by social media—stalking takes multiple forms.  Looking at using technology as safe forms of reportings.  Calisto for example.  Chat Box.  Transphobia can take the form of SH, and SH is not a women’s issue but a gender affected issue.  NSF INCLUDES, IGEN,  Onus needs not to be put on people of color or LGBT because tend to me more junior. 

Thoughts and guidance for postdocs, fellows, medical residents who aren’t easily tracked because so many different possible titles and capacities, but not captured under student, faculty or staff umbrellas. Many are concentrated in medical centers.  Also subject to all of retaliation. 

The Role of Federal Agencies

Kelley Bonner, Workplace Violence Prevention & Response Program Manager, NOAA; David Chambers, Equal Opportunity Program Manager, NASA; Rhonda Davis, Head, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, NSF; Lawrence Tabak, Principal Deputy Director, NIH; Rachel Gettler, General Attorney, Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education

University Title IX perception “Fox guarding the chicken coop.”  Can go directly to any grant reporting agency—they all have their own title IX coordinator, and can report there within 180 days of incident and have adjudicated more fairly.  But limited resources, so smart action is “shotgun approach” to multiple agencies.  Pay equity, EEOC is the best bet instead.   How to ensure harassers don’t have access?  NSF director sent out to 3000+ institutions that SH would not be tolerated.  Put together a task force, and met every two weeks as launching, now bimonthly.  Went into effect in October if there is a SH  violation, and they are unable to carry out terms of grant, working on that process now. 

NIH has Indirect and direct approaches.  Indirect—extensive anti-harassment program that they hope is a model, with option for anonymous reporting, central investigations, will issue a survey of all NIH staff in 2019 about workplace environment.   Issued a federal register note to indicate to institution that speaks to what employees and grantees can do to pursue.  Support much needed research.  In December, will launch a working group/advisory council on this topic.  Frazier Benya spoke to packed audience not that long ago. External funding:  always had policy that if an individual’s status policy changes, the institution is obligated to notify the NIH.  Typically by VP of research.  Reflex is to take away the grant, which has collateral damage, particularly taking away support of the individual that reported.  Work with university.  Truthfully, agencies don’t make a big deal where a PI has been removed because of legal framework issues—speaking about someone else’s employee. 

NASA has a robust anti-harassment process.  Pre-award, there is a civil rights assurance form, compliance reviews.  Indirectly, try to focus on the environment that allows harassment to breed.  Do you show gender diversity on your website?  Do you also recruit at Society of Women Engineers and Association of Women in Science?  Promote promising practices as well as compliance? Title IX requires self-evaluation.  Are you using GRE math score as gateway criteria which shuts out those with tremendous experience and references, reducing diversity)?  Mediation with wronged party rather than invoking title ix "broken" investigation process could empower them while educating the aggressor.  (this could work IN SOME CASES, but without also fixing other aspects of system, how to reduce retaliation?) 

NIGMS has announced that there must be an anti-harassment training and dual mentoring to distribute power and achieve results that are more favorable.  Series of initiatives to diversify the work place in terms of gender, race and ethnicity.  Improved early investigative stage.  Diversifying panels—not just old white guys, but post docs, young professionals. 

What is one thing you will invite colleges and universities to do to help efforts?

·        Have Research Office communicate with Title IX office.  Be intentional about culture change efforts.  Be honest and forthright. 

Questions? 

Do you have policies to prevent supervisors from have sexual relationships with supervisees?  NIH does, and has a mandatory reporting requirement. Adjudicate each situation, and if truly consensual, readjust the reporting relationship. How do you define consensual?  Getting ready to get married (really?!) Nat. Academy staff has new training on the way.  Recommend providing flexible funding for grad students to diffuse power structure.  But not generally allowed to pool funding.  Parental leave concern:  Usually can extend for a year for family issues.  Having child as a woman, negative impact, for man, positive impact (how was he unaware of this prior to this study).  Some societies are redefining scientific misconduct to include sexual harassment. 

Reporting has to be the silver bullet for the agencies, as otherwise they cannot act. How do respond?  Still report, but bypass the institution.  Title IX didn’t anticipate influence of today’s social media.  Tremendous strength in numbers.  What if a PI or co-PI came and said we had to remove an individual because of harassment?  Not stopping at those levels. If we hear of something through another form would follow up to confirm safety of parties and determine if institution can still fulfil terms of grant. Could be delayed by loss of lower levels as well, but don’t have to notify. Accommodations could be made.

How does anonymous reporting actually work?  Hire a contract organization so there are none of our employees are involved, and use a system of checks and balances for web forms or phone call.  With an anonymous report, may not get enough info to proceed.  Reporter may come back later, but cannot seek.  With regard to Title IX structure and review—if there are issues, does that trigger a review of what the office should be? 

Don’t think the report highlights an “emerging threat.”  Problematic behavior has been present a long time and limiting performance.  Need to increase inclusive practices across the board to tamp down bullying, 

Compliance isn’t enough, but it has to be part of it.  What can institutions be doing beyond reporting?  Can be diversifying senior leadership and throughout organizations.  Ensure equity, review every department for equity measures and tie institutional reward system to it. 

Recordings are now available at:  https://vimeo.com/album/5561695
Afternoon Concurrent sessions and closing plenary were not webcast.