Inside Iowa State

Nov. 18, 2005

Anti-harassment training is under way

by Anne Krapfl

About 330 of the university's top administrators and supervisors will receive training this year in identifying and responding to instances of sexual harassment at Iowa State. The training process began Nov. 7, when President Gregory Geoffroy and members of his cabinet completed their training.

The two-hour training session, proposed by director of equal opportunity and diversity Carla Espinoza, is a response to two issues at Iowa State:

• The campus climate study (2004) indicated a need for better, simpler communication about sexual harassment, especially how and where victims can get help. (Another change in response to this need is the consolidation of the university's sexual harassment and racial and ethnic harassment policies, effective Nov. 1.)
• Sexual harassment lawsuits involving the university still happen.

Espinoza noted that stopping sexual harassment is about knowing what to do, but also about following through on that knowledge.

The training includes definitions and content discussions about what sexual harassment is (and isn't), but focuses on the responsibility of managers to act -- and what to do -- when they learn of possible instances of sexual harassment.

Espinoza said the training session will be updated and campus leaders will receive training every three years.

The university's top administrators and supervisors will receive training every three years in identifying and responding to sexual harassment.