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Suggested Citation:"Acknowledgments." Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent "Passing the Harasser" in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27265.
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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the former working group representative Arie Nettles, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Inclusion and Health Equity and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center as well as Katherine Plachta, Law Fellow, University of Wisconsin System, for their contributions to this paper.

This Issue Paper was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each publication as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this paper: Nancy Cantalupo, Wayne State University; Kathryn Clancy, University of Illinois; Jamie Lewis Keith, The Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM; and Roberta Marinelli, Oregon State University.

Although the reviewers provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the paper, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this paper was overseen by Sue Curry, University of Iowa, and Ed Lazowska, University of Washington. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the paper was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authors and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Acknowledgments." Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent "Passing the Harasser" in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27265.
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NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by the Member Organizations of the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-71100-5
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-71100-2
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27265

This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2023 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academies Press and the graphical logos for each are all trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Suggested citation: Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent “Passing the Harasser” in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27265.

Suggested Citation:"Acknowledgments." Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent "Passing the Harasser" in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27265.
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ABOUT THE ACTION COLLABORATIVE ON PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education brings together academic and research institutions and key stakeholders to work toward targeted, collective action on addressing and preventing sexual harassment across all disciplines and among all people in higher education. The members actively collaborate to identify, research, develop, and implement efforts that move beyond basic legal compliance to evidence-based policies and practices for addressing and preventing all forms of sexual harassment and promoting a campus climate of civility and respect.

The Action Collaborative includes four Working Groups (Prevention, Response, Remediation, and Evaluation) that compile and gather information and publish resources for the higher education community. Those resources include issue papers authored by individuals who are members of one of the working groups. An issue paper explores a specific topic or practice related to sexual harassment in order to:

  • Serve as a research-based resource for higher education administrators; practitioners; faculty, staff, and student leaders as they consider policies, practices, and approaches related to sexual harassment prevention, response, remediation, and/or evaluation; and
  • Inform them of the potential value of implementing new approaches for addressing sexual harassment.

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Enobong H. Branch (Chair), Rutgers University; Elizabeth S. Chilton, Washington State University; Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Arizona State University; Douglas A. Girod, University of Kansas; Monica L. Lypson, Columbia University; Michael F. Sweeney, UC Davis; Teresa K. Woodruff, Michigan State University

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Vicki J. Magley (Chair), University of Connecticut; Kelley Bonner, Burn Bright Consulting; Sheila Brassel, Catalyst; Nancy C. Cantalupo, Wayne State University; Lilia Cortina, University of Michigan; Minette E. Drumwright, University of Texas at Austin; William F. Flack, Jr., Bucknell University; Jennifer M. Gómez, Boston University; Sarah Gonzalez, FUTURES; Kathryn Holland, University of Nebraska; Larry R. Martinez, Portland State University; LaWanda D. Swan, Start By Talking; M. Gabriela Torres, Wheaton College; David C. Yamada, Suffolk University

STAFF Frazier Benya, Director; Kait Spear, Program Officer; Jeena M. Thomas, Program Officer; Abigail Harless, Senior Program Assistant

CONSULTANT Mollie C. Marr, Consultant Writer

CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST DISCLOSURES Melissa Sortman is an Advisory Board Member at the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions. Tricia Serio is an author of a previous op-ed related to sexual harassment for The Chronicle of Higher Education, “How Colleges and Organizations Can Stop the Cycle of Faculty Sexual Abuse” (2018).

For more information about the Action Collaborative, see https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/action-collaborative-on-preventing-sexual-harassment-in-higher-education.

Policy and Global Affairs

Copyright 2023 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

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Suggested Citation:"Acknowledgments." Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent "Passing the Harasser" in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27265.
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Suggested Citation:"Acknowledgments." Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent "Passing the Harasser" in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27265.
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Page 58
Suggested Citation:"Acknowledgments." Serio, T., A. Blamey, L. Rugless, V. R. Sides, M. Sortman, H. Vatti, and Q. Williams. 2023. Exploring Policies to Prevent "Passing the Harasser" in Higher Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27265.
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Page 59
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One troubling aspect of sexual harassment by faculty is the ability of these individuals to quietly move on to new academic positions at other institutions of higher education (IHEs) without the disclosure of their behavior. This practice is known as passing the harasser, and is exacerbated by a general lack of transparency about findings of sexual harassment in higher education. The ramifications of passing the harasser include not only failing to hold harassers accountable for their actions but also reinforcing an institutional climate in which sexual harassment is perceived as tolerated. The aim of this paper is to provide academic institutions with an examination of the landscape of practices and the considerations for implementing procedures to prevent passing the harasser, as well as examples of how some colleges and universities are addressing specific challenges, so that administrative leadership has the information they need to create policies tailored to their institution’s needs.

This individually-authored issue paper was created by members of the Response Working Group of the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education to explore the challenges and potential resolutions related to policies and practices intended to prevent passing the harasser (e.g., lack of transparency in the adjudication process) as discussed in the 2018 National Academies report Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine brings together academic and research institutions and key stakeholders to work toward targeted, collective action on addressing and preventing sexual harassment across all disciplines and among all people in higher education. The Action Collaborative includes four working groups (Prevention, Response, Remediation, and Evaluation) that identify topics in need of research, gather information, and publish resources for the higher education community.

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