University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: February 21, 2008

By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor

A new online education program to help members of the UB community recognize and deal with sexual harassment on campus is now available, thanks to the work of staff members in the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Affirmative Action Administration (EDAAA).

“Harassment or discrimination, in any form, is antithetical to our common purpose of achieving excellence. In particular, sexual harassment should have no place at the University at Buffalo,” President John B. Simpson writes in a message that opens the online tutorial. “It is the responsibility of every member of the university community to ensure that we maintain a harassment-free environment.”

Barbara Burke, interim director of EDAAA, notes that the online program that is available at UB also is in use at more than 200 universities, corporations and government agencies.

“In keeping with the trend toward online, self-paced learning, this program is a convenient easy-to-use educational tool for faculty, staff and students,” Burke says. “It provides a proactive approach to sexual-harassment prevention by clearly defining our mutual rights and responsibilities in the context of federal and state laws, and university policy. We hope all members of the campus community will take the opportunity to become better informed on this important subject.”

The online sexual harassment awareness training program provides information ranging from definitions of sexual harassment and instructions on how to file a complaint to university policies and federal laws concerning sexual harassment.

“It’s intended to both let people know what conduct is expected and also help those who may be experiencing sexual harassment or problematic behavior so that they can know what their options are and where they can go” [for help], says Sharon Nolan-Weiss, associate director of EDAAA.

The online tutorial has different “editions,” depending on whether the user is faculty, staff or a student, and whether the user has supervisory responsibilities, notes Kesha Lanier, equal employment opportunity specialist. There also is a guest edition for people who do work for the university on campus but are not university employees.

Major topics covered include the definition of sexual harassment, objectives of the course, information about the laws governing sexual harassment, reporting procedures and campus contact information.

Several sections of the program were specifically customized by EDAAA staff to include or expand on issues that weren’t in the original program provided by the vendor, New Media Learning Inc., but that EDAAA staff felt needed to be addressed, Lanier says. Among those topics are date rape, UB’s formal sexual harassment policy, a description of UB offices that provide assistance and New York state legal protections.

The program also addresses forms of discriminatory harassment other than sexual, such as that based on race, color, religion, age, national origin and disability.

New Media Learning provides updates for the program when appropriate, such as new court decisions in sexual harassment cases, Lanier says.

The program begins with a “pretest” to evaluate users’ current understanding of the issues regarding sexual harassment, and concludes with a mastery test to evaluate knowledge gained through the program.

Certain questions are geared toward the particular edition that is being used, with scenarios outlining different behaviors relating directly to the user’s particular situation. The program scores results immediately, so users know if their responses are correct or incorrect, and why.

Users who answer at least 80 percent of the questions in the mastery test correctly can print a certificate of completion, Lanier says.

She notes that each page of the tutorial features a “contact EDAAA” box where users with questions or comments, or who are experiencing “problematic” situations can contact EDAAA directly via a secure mailbox.

Moreover, links within the tutorial provide more in-depth information about certain topics.

The program currently is voluntary, Nolan-Weiss says, but supervisors and managers have the option of mandating it for their staff members. Some might wish to do so, she suggests, especially if there is a concern or complaint within the unit. “It’s a pretty quick way to train everyone in a unit,” she says.

While the EDAAA office does conduct in-person sexual harassment training for units on campus, the online program can reach more people, Lanier notes. “It’s more flexible; you’re not having to do something at a set time and at a set place,” she says. “You can do it right from your office, from a laptop or from a dorm.”

Nolan-Weiss points out that there’s been a push nationwide for more sexual harassment training in the workplace, and some states, like California, are mandating such training.

“There’s talk of New York going in the same direction,” she says. “If that happens, we [UB] would be in a good position to have this program satisfy the mandatory training requirement.”

Nolan-Weiss acknowledges that her office may receive more complaints as a result of the online training program, but “that’s a good thing. When the complaints don’t come to us, that’s when it’s more troubling,” she says.

The online program can be accessed by clicking here.