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July 17, 2018

WCC meeting notes

In attendance:

Sherri, Kathi, Annette, Mak, Jake, Dave, Adam, Dina, Chrissy, Veta, Christine

Update on Kate Clancy’s talk

  • Women’s committee co-sponsoring
  • Ask Mark if he can recommend someone to introduce Kate
  • Kathi will provide an email list for unit heads/chairs; Mak and Annette will ask them to attend and to encourage others to attend

NAS report

  • Plan a dedicated meeting to discuss this in September; bring up ideas for cultural change
  • Question about tolerance for harassment – all complaints are addressed – education/training in some cases is useful; in other cases additional action is required
  • Find ways to improve climate so that harassment is prevented
  • How to address impacts to victim/recipient; Kathi will send out info on this
  • Encourage PIs to discuss with their lab groups;
  • Address power imbalances
  • Increase diversity in senior positions

Sexual harassment training

  • Aug 1 implementation date
  • Give people to Oct 1 to get training; new employees will be given one month from date of hire; for employees – will be on evaluation form; students and postdocs will be required;
  • Need to work out a method to ensure affiliates (eg guest, visiting scientists, investigators, students) take the training
  • If training will be traumatizing (eg for victims), discuss with Kathi

Posting of inappropriate materials and when to report incidents (in general)

  • When does an incident require reporting?
  • Sometimes issues can be addressed with simple conversation; but need to keep track of events in case there is a pattern; events, not intentions
  • Central repository of incidents? Annual report of grievances etc; but how to protect confidentiality?
  • Should we consider doing annual surveys (smaller scale than our 5 year larger survey)
  • Reporting - may see an initial bump before decline, due to increased awareness and attention to these issues
  • Callisto app; https://www.projectcallisto.org/

Diversity efforts

  • What is the status of diversity committee?
  • How to find out about diversity issues at WHOI? Need a central place for information, and up to date website; want to have a better way to share information across institutions
  • Woods Hole groups are looking into a shared diversity specialist; should WHOI have their own person? There is a burden on people of color as they get selected to be on all the committees
  • People can send diversity info to our committee and we will help to advertise

CommuniTea

  • Aim for October; theme – women with disproportionate share of “office housework; coordinate with Women’s Committee for date and logistics
  • Another theme – how to be more welcoming to people of diverse backgrounds; perhaps hold a Tea in the winter with this theme to encourage improvement in this area before next summer?
  • How to summarize what people learn from the teas - have participants give comments directly; social media?

Misc

  • Update WCC website, with resources, info in Teas, Tips, and other activities; and easy to find links on relevant policies
  • Visits for non-scientific staff by Kathi/Crhis/Christine to discuss climate policies and respectful workplace environment; consider how to best reach all staff - version for supervisors and non-supervisors?