Inside Iowa State
March 19, 1999
Racial, ethnic harassment policy draft presented to P&S Council
by Anne Dolan
At its March 4 meeting, the Professional and Scientific Council discussed its response to a draft of Iowa State's racial and ethnic harassment policy. The council's policies and procedures committee received the draft last month to begin work on a response; council president Rob Bowers will send a formal response to President Martin Jischke, who has requested input to the draft from university groups by March 15.
Committee members suggested that the policy more closely mirror Iowa State's sexual harassment policy in procedural structure (initiating a complaint, informal resolution vs. formal complaint, use of assistors, etc.)
As they did last month with the Faculty Senate, director of legal services Paul Tanaka and Derrick Rollins, the president's diversity adviser, attended the council meeting to answer questions and solicit ideas. Tanaka noted that the enforcement portion of the policy isn't complete yet. All parts of the policy are open to revision, he said.
Rollins said people often don't know what to do when, for example, someone in their company makes a racist comment. "With this policy, we're trying to give all people knowledge -- not just administrators -- so people don't have to wait. Issues can be dealt with at the lowest level possible," he said.
Assistant vice president for human resource services Carla Espinoza, who also attended the meeting, said that not many universities have racial harassment policies yet. Policies that have been written resemble discrimination policies more than sexual harassment policies, she said.
"If the goal is to educate and prevent, we're going in the opposite direction if we make the rules too tight," she said.
In other business:
- Espinoza reported that an employee committee is
reviewing all personnel-related policy manuals for
compatibility and consistency. She also reported that the
child care coordinator search remains open.
- The council tabled until April an alternative motion to
one presented in January calling for council members to sign
a pledge supporting an alcohol-free Veishea this spring and
encouraging other P&S staff to do the same. The alternative
motion supports the event while removing the obligation to
sign a pledge.
- The annual council-hosted lunch forum for P&S employees
begins at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, April 1, in the Memorial
Union Campanile Room. Participants may purchase a box lunch
for $6 or bring their own. Registration for this event will
be online.
Iowa State homepage
Inside Iowa State, inside@iastate.edu, University
Relations
Copyright © 1999, Iowa State University, all rights
reserved
URL: http://www.inside.iastate.edu/1999/0319/council.html
Revised 03/18/99