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Building a Harassment-Free Campus
In June 2005, AAUW launched a new programmatic theme, "Education as the Gateway to Women's Economic Security." As a part of this theme, AAUW is pleased to announce a new initiative in higher education: Building a Harassment-Free Campus.
Sexual harassment is a problem on college campuses nationwide, but many campus professionals and students are confused about what constitutes sexual harassment and how it affects students’ educational experience. What do we mean by sexual harassment? How often does it occur, to whom, and at what cost? Where do we draw the line between freedom of expression and the right to a learning environment that is free from bias and harassment?
The Building a Harassment-Free Campus initiative draws on an AAUW Educational Foundation research study and expands upon AAUW's prior research and expertise in higher education and sexual harassment. Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus is a national research study of college students and their experiences regarding sexual harassment on campus. The study looks at a nationally representative survey of undergraduate students – male and female 18-24 year olds, enrolled full- or part-time at a two-year or four-year college or university – and examines the groups' harassment experiences throughout the college campus and these incidents' impact on their educational and college experience.
To create action on campus in response to this study, AAUW’s Leadership and Training Institute supports Campus Action Projects. The goals of this initiative are to extend awareness of campus sexual harassment, implement exceptional projects that can begin to create an impact and affect change in the campus climate, and provide an avenue for ongoing leadership training and support of women leaders. At the conclusion of the project, CAP teams will send a representative to present their outcomes at the June 2006 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders Summit on Sexual Harassment: Leading Change on Campus and Beyond.
Campus Action Project Teams Selected
To give campus professionals and students the necessary tools to help improve campus environments, LTI has selected eleven projects at colleges and universities around the country as Campus Action Projects for 2005-2006. During Spring 2006, each team received a grant of up to $5,000 and technical assistance from the national office to implement a campus-based program addressing sexual harassment.
- University of North Texas, Denton, TX: UNT = Harassment Free
- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN: SHAPE up! Sexual Harassment Awareness Peer Education
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY: SBU Campus UNITED Against Harassment
- University of Akron, Akron, OH: Make Our Campus Harassment-Free
- Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, MS: Sexual Harassment…Speak Out
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA: Changing the Campus Culture: A Multimedia Service Campaign to Stop Sexual Harassment
- Alfred University, Alfred, NY: Sexual Harassment Campus Action Project
- Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR: Identifying and Planning for a Harassment Free Environment at Chemeketa Community College
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA: Project STOP Student Team for Outreach & Prevention: An Anti-Harassment Coalition
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL: UCF Assesses Sexual Harassment and Develops Interventions
- Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA: Sexual Harassment Awareness: Tools and Resources
Resources for Building a Harassment-Free Campus – AAUW resources and links to other useful tools for building a harassment-free campus.
Questions? Call AAUW's Leadership and Training Institute at 202/728/3318 or send an e-mail to lti@aauw.org.
