Statement on Sexual Misconduct
The CUNY Graduate Center Philosophy Department is firmly committed to protecting students and faculty from sexual misconduct in any form. We endorse the APA Statement on sexual harassment and follow the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct.
We are aware that our program has recently suffered from climate issues that have caused significant pain and suffering to members of our community, some of them survivors of sexual violence and harassment.
For many reasons, this has been a difficult time for our community. We are aware of voices outside our department as well that want information or feel that the department has been too silent. While we understand the source of such frustrations, there is little we know or can say further about the issue at present.
The Department treats all allegations of Title IX and non-Title IX misconduct with the utmost seriousness. This includes commitment to the integrity of investigating any allegation of sexual misconduct with fairness and due process. Members of the community with concerns about the processes in place for investigating misconduct are encouraged to speak with the Department’s Executive Officer, members of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (EDIC), the Graduate Center’s Title IX Coordinator, or any faculty member. Please see other resources listed below.
In pursuit of continued improvement as a community committed to a safe workplace, we are planning the following actions:
- Distributing the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct to the whole community at the start of each semester.
- Dedicating time at the start of the Proseminar for MA and PhD students each fall to cover the most important details in the CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct, in particular the robust policies governing relationships between faculty and students.
- Dedicating time at the start of the Proseminar for MA and PhD students each fall to describe the various CUNY resources available to students having to do with discrimination and harassment. (These resources are linked below.)
- Instituting annual in-person Sexual Conduct Training for all members of the department.
- Disseminating information about our existing mechanism (here) for anonymous reporting of climate-related concerns.
- Appointing two faculty members to serve as Department Ombudspersons for non-Title IX climate-related issues.
We would like to remind all members of our community, students, faculty, and staff, about the various resources available at CUNY and elsewhere that bear on discrimination and harassment:
GC Counseling Services (including group counseling)
https://www.gc.cuny.edu/student-counseling-services
GC Ombuds Office
https://www.gc.cuny.edu/ombuds-office
GC Title IX Awareness
https://www.gc.cuny.edu/compliance-and-diversity/title-ix-awareness
GC PSC Union
https://psccunygc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
APA Ombudsperson Concerning Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
