Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

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Rutgers University is one of the initial 28 founding universities, colleges, and research institutions to join with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on an initiative to reduce sexual harassment in higher education.

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education aims to increase sexual harassment awareness and foster collaboration among universities on policies, research, and ways to measure progress.

The collaborative builds on the National Academies’ 2018 report, Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which found that between 20 percent and 50 percent of female students and more than 50 percent of female faculty and staff experienced sexually harassing behavior while in academia.

The four main goals of the action collaborative are to:

  • raise awareness about sexual harassment and how it occurs, the consequences of sexual harassment, and the organizational characteristics and recommended approaches that can prevent it
  • share and elevate evidence-based institutional policies and strategies to reduce and prevent sexual harassment
  • contribute to setting the research agenda, and gather and apply research results across institutions
  • develop a standard for measuring progress toward reducing and preventing sexual harassment in higher education

The action collaborative will also deal with the issue of sexual harassment in the context of other damaging behavior, including incivility, bullying, and other forms of harassment such as racial harassment.

Call for Presentations for 2023 Public Summit - Deadline May 1, 2023

Call for Summit Presentations:

The Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education invites submissions for presentations, posters, and sessions on practices to address and prevent sexual harassment in higher education and research that can help inform such practices. Individuals across higher education and those that want to contribute to the discussion around preventing sexual harassment in higher education are encouraged to submit about their work, ideas, and research so it can be included at the Action Collaborative’s Annual Public Summit. Please note that space to present is limited.

Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education:

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2021 Public Summit: October 12-13, 2021

Building on the discussion at last year's Summit, the 2021 Summit will serve as an opportunity to gather evidence-based information, engage in dialogue, and gain diverse perspectives on how to effectively combat sexual harassment.

View 2021 Summit for agenda and registration details.

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2020 Public Summit: October 19-20, 2020 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The Public Summit of the National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education is an open forum for those in the higher education ecosystem to collaboratively identify, discuss, and elevate innovative and effective approaches for addressing and preventing sexual harassment.