Faculty Council Explores Harassment Prevention

Professors and University officials discussed sexual harassment and possible solutions at a Faculty Council meeting yesterday.

The council reviewed an annual report prepared by the Coordinating Committee on Sexual Harassment and explored preventative measures to deal with the problem.

Faculty members who attended the meeting said discussion was lengthy and constructive.

"The faculty took it [the issue of sexual harassment] very seriously," said Professor of English and Associate Dean for Affirmative Action Marjorie Garber, who is on the committee.

The report, which outlined the committee's work during the last year, emphasized the need for heightened awareness of sexual harassment issues and offered procedural guidelines for the University, according to Joseph McCarthy, assistant dean of academic planning for the faculty.

"We tried to emphasize education and the need to raise people's consciousness," said McCarthy, who handles harasssment charges in the Faculty. "We placed more emphasis on prevention, not on the cure."

McKay Professor of Computer Science Barbara Grosz, who is on the council, said she hoped issues of harassment will be discussed on a regular basis.

"The faculty would benefit from reminding itself of the issues," said Grosz. "I would hope that the departments would consider discussing the issue also on a regular basis as part of an overall teacher-education training."

McCarthy said the report does not indicate a rise in the number of sexual harassment cases reported last year.

But Eloise McGaw, assistant director of personnel services for the Fac- ulty, said it is hard to monitor cases of sexual harassment because many people do not report such incidents.

Still, McGaw said the report "is very important in raising the faculty's awareness... we want to show that we take this seriously and that there is a policy to take care of it."

McCarthy said sexual harassment remains a problem on campus.

"We're not satisfied," said McCarthy. "But we've seen progress.

Still, McGaw said the report "is very important in raising the faculty's awareness... we want to show that we take this seriously and that there is a policy to take care of it."

McCarthy said sexual harassment remains a problem on campus.

"We're not satisfied," said McCarthy. "But we've seen progress.