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DIVERSITY & CLIMATE
An inclusive working and learning environment benefits everyone in the College
of Engineering.
Diversity—a variety of ideas, experiences,
and backgrounds expressed by people with a mixture of nationalities, ethnicities, and genders
working together-enlarges our understanding, expands our own experience, and prepares us to
function well in the modern university and work place. A more varied pool of people can produce
more and better ideas-if they seek each other out and work together. Tolerance and acceptance
of others is not only a moral imperative. It is a practical one.
Every student, every faculty member, every staff member, and every administrator
in the College of Engineering has a part to play in creating and maintaining an open environment.
Climate—the ambiance or comfort level of a learning
or working environment-is a crucial element in recognizing and preventing harassment. In
every College-related activity, each of us has an obligation to be open to a diversity of
thought and culture as well as to avoid situations, behavior and/or language that exclude
groups of people or make individuals uncomfortable.
Harassment—whether sexual, racial, or
ethnic—is detrimental to us all. People who are harassed cannot perform well and
harassers are wasting their talents on negative activities. Harassment is also illegal.
The bottom line is that we should treat all of the people with whom we work,
learn, and socialize with respect. Good manners and inclusive attitudes make the College a good
place to work and learn.
Diversity enriches our lives, when we let it.
The College of Engineering as an institution has an obligation, and is
committed to creating and maintaining a climate that allows and encourages each individual to
perform at his or her best. The College of Engineering Climate Committee, composed of students,
staff, and faculty from each department, meets regularly to find ways to improve and
enhance the climate.
We have an established complaint procedure and established procedures for dealing
with harassment. Individuals throughout the College have trained to work individually and
confidentially with students, faculty members, or staff who experience harassment. These advisers
can provide confidential guidance on informal and formal procedures for resolving harassment
problems.
Information on University policies on harassment, as well as information on
grievance procedures, is available at the Office of the Dean, 101 Hammond; Engineering Student
Services, 241 Hammond Building; or University resource centers.
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WHAT IS HARASSMENT?
Harassment is verbal or written abuse, racial or gender slurs, physical
intimidation, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome advances, or the demand for favors.
Sexual and racial harassment are common forms of harassment and are illegal
under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The concept of sexual harassment causes much confusion and is often associated
with the harassment of women by men. However, men also experience sexual harassment. A working
definition of sexual harassment is the unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
- submission to such conduct is a condition for employment, promotion,
grades, or academic status
- submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is used as the basis
for employment or academic decisions affecting an individual
- such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering unreasonably
with the individual's work or academic performance, or creates an offensive, hostile, or
intimidating working or learning environment.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM
The University is required through policy and law to provide resolution of
harassment situations. Some problems can be handled individually and informally, while some
require a formal complaint. It is important to understand the difference.
Read through this brochure to make sure you understand harassment. If you are
not sure or have questions, one of the resource people listed on the Affirmative Action Office's website will be happy to discuss it with you.
If you believe you have been harassed, you have several options:
- Remember that you have the power to act and the right to tell
anyone, verbally or in a factual letter, that their behavior is not welcome and you want
it to stop immediately.
- Document the incident(s).
- Discuss the situation in confidence with a friend, colleague,
instructor, supervisor, or any person whom you trust. (Discussing it with a friend can
provide an important first step to understanding what is really happening; it is important,
however, that if you feel you have a justified complaint, to go on to speak with a
designated harassment adviser.)
- Discuss the situation with one of the harassment
resource people in order to develop an action plan for resolution
of the problem, and if appropriate, complete a harassment complaint form.
- Do not decide that your problem is not important or that if you
ignore it, it will go away. It probably won't.
The College of Engineering is a vigorous supporter of the resolutions included
in University Policy Statement
AD-41 on relationships between people of unequal status.
If you believe you are a victim of any kind of harassment—whether sexual
or racial—be sure to discuss the incident with College or University representatives
who are trained to help.
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IS THIS HARASSMENT (ITH)?
One of the big questions is what constitutes harassment. Remember that it is the
impact rather than the intent that determines if harassment has occurred. To help you decide,
several possible situations are offered below.
If you believe you have been subjected to harassment, you are afforded protection
under the law. It is important to remember that you are not alone and that you do not have to
solve adverse situations alone. If you have experiences that you are unhappy with or uncertain
about, be sure to contact an adviser, supervisor, faculty, or staff member whom you trust.
Above all, remember that you have the power to act.
- Situation: You walk into a computer
lab and find that several students are playing games in which women or men are displayed
without clothes or computers with obscene screen savers. ITH? Yes, this is harassment.
Derogatory posters, cartoons, or drawings related to age, gender, religion, national origin,
race or disability create an adverse work environment. Action:
Point out the problem to the lab administrator and ask that the computers be purged.
If he or she isn't responsive, go to a departmental or College of Engineering harassment adviser.
- Situation: A professor or instructor comments
that women are too emotional, that all minorities make it only because of Affirmative Action,
or that white men are all insensitive. ITH? Yes, this is harassment, again creating an
adverse environment. Action: The best solution may be to gather
a group of students who share your experience to confront the professor and ask for a
change. If that is not possible (or if you have confronted the professor and the conduct
did not change), contact your departmental or College of Engineering harassment
adviser.
- Situation: A colleague tells you that
your new hair cut is attractive or that he or she likes your tie. ITH? No, this is a
compliment. Action: Say thank you.
- Situation: You are in a work study, lab,
or staff situation and a supervisor or someone with whom you are working (whether they are in
a higher, lower, or same level position) tells you a dirty joke, shows you a suggestive
Internet message, or, without your permission, leans over your work to see what you are
doing or treats you in a way that you find demeaning. ITH? This could be harassment—or
just plain ignorance and bad manners. Is it consistent behavior, does it have an unpleasant
edge, is he or she leaning too closely? Action: Whether it is
harassment or rudeness, explain to the person that his or her behavior is inappropriate and
ask that it stop. If this doesn't work, or you feel uncomfortable confronting the person,
contact your departmental or College harassment adviser.
- Situation: A teaching assistant asks you out for
a date, then reminds you that you have a test coming up. ITH? It certainly could be
harassment. Requiring submission to personal favors as an explicit or implicit condition
for employment or advancement is illegal, as are retaliation or sabotage.
Action: Tell the teaching assistant that the request makes you
uncomfortable and not to do it again. If you feel the request was coercive, if he or she
persists, or if you fail the test and shouldn't have, contact your departmental or
College harassment adviser.
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