Important University Policies & How to Make a Report

In light of recent conversations about sexual harassment and emotional exploitation in academia, we, the faculty in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Stony Brook University, are reflecting on our own evolving practices and on our role as feminist advocates on our campus. We would like to take this opportunity to share our thoughts on these pressing issues.  

Addressing Sexual Misconduct:  The formal mechanisms in place at our institution and at universities across the country address sexual misconduct and hostile working environments in extremely restricted and unsatisfying ways. In response we have been working and will continue to work with our colleagues across the university to advocate for the strengthening of existing mechanisms, to make information about these policies more accessible and transparent, and to facilitate campus conversations about power imbalances in the academy. We are also working to create a departmental culture where survivors feel supported, where staff, faculty, and students trust that their questions and complaints will be heard, and where we can collectively explore alternative options beyond official institutional processes.

Flexible Guidelines for Mentoring Relationships: We are working to formalize our advisory practices for core and affiliate faculty as a way of reducing potential harm to graduate students. We will publicize general guidelines for what constitutes a generative and mutually rewarding mentoring relationship, and we will now be using templates for developing individualized agreements between faculty and their graduate students and teaching assistants on reasonable expectations and responsibilities as mentors and mentees. Additionally, we continue to support graduate student labor organizing, and we will seek input from the Graduate Student Employee Union at Stony Brook as we refine our policies and practices around graduate mentorship and employment.

Important University Policies:

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (P105)

Sexual Misconduct & Reporting Policy (P106)

Policy on Relationships (P208)

How to report:  

Employees and students have 5 ways to report:

1.  Online, just go to report it

2.  Email titleix@stonybrook.edu or reportit@stonybrook.edu

3.  Submit complaint by paper or fax to 631.632.9428

4.  Stop by the Office of Equity and Access

5.  Mail in a complaint to 201 Administration Building, Stony Brook, NY  11794