Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
Our collective efforts toward gender equity remain paramount in the coming year. It is important that each student, staff, faculty member, researcher, and fellow at Harvard know that you belong here, and that you also have a profound influence on our community climate. Each of us has a role to play in advancing gender equity and honoring gender diversity as individuals.
As we embark on the 2022-2023 academic year, the Office for Gender Equity (OGE) wants you to know about the resources you may access. Among these resources are opportunities for you to engage and continue to help strengthen and shape our community culture, as well as confidential spaces to seek support surrounding forms of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct.
I invite you to familiarize yourself with OGE’s supportive resources, current initiatives, opportunities for involvement, and ways to contact us. I also encourage you to bookmark the links below should you need to support a friend, colleague, or other community member.
OGE empowers and supports the Harvard community to advance a climate of gender equity and inclusion through evidence-based educational initiatives, excellence in research and practice, and delivery of direct services.
OGE brings to life our values, vision, and mission through an array of initiatives and resources, including:
- Design and implementation of robust prevention education, engagement, and outreach initiatives
- Organizational assessment, consultation, and leadership development
- Confidential support through SHARE counseling
- Referrals for making disclosures to a Title IX resource
- Resources for submitting an anonymous disclosure
- Filing a formal complaint related to sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct under Harvard’s policies
While each of OGE’s teams operate separately, we work collaboratively, holistically, and in community. OGE can be reached at oge@harvard.edu or (617) 496-0200.
Prevention Education, Engagement & Outreach
Safe, healthy, and thriving communities are cultivated when the individuals, systems, and values that comprise them work together to foster equity, diversity, and belonging.
OGE’s Prevention, Education, Engagement, and Outreach efforts are made better by the input and involvement of community members across each of its many initiatives – from shaping eLearning curricula to informing OGE’s strategic prevention priorities.
OGE invites your support and engagement on several exciting initiatives in the coming year, including:
- Applications for the 2022-23 Student and Staff Education Advisory Committees,
- Recruiting membership for the LGBTQ+ Community Coalition,
- Planning campus events, and more.
If you wish to get involved in campus efforts, we encourage you to contact us at oge@harvard.edu.
Sexual Harassment/Assault Resources & Education (SHARE) Counselors offer a range of support to individuals and communities healing from harm, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, abusive relationships, and gender discrimination. This support includes counseling, groups, advocacy, and a 24/7 confidential hotline at (617) 495-9100. SHARE counselors can be reached at oge_share@harvard.edu or (617) 496-5636 (office).
Local Title IX Resource Coordinators have specialized experience in responding to disclosures of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct. They support all members of the Harvard community, and are expert resources around the University’s policies, procedures, and resources in the realm of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct. Resource Coordinators serve as the primary point of contact for individuals seeking supportive measures, which are individualized supports that enable Harvard community members impacted by sexual harassment or other sexual misconduct to access their work or studies.
Contacting your local Title IX Resource Coordinator is not the same as filing a formal complaint with the University Title IX Coordinator. Rather, Resource Coordinators are available to help you make an informed decision about which pathways and options are right for you.
Harvard University’s Policies and Procedures Addressing Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct are designed to ensure a safe and non-discriminatory educational and work environment and to meet legal requirements under state and Federal laws.
Beyond the resources listed above, there are a host of confidential resources available at Harvard and in the broader community available for those impacted by sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct. These resources are available to provide support as you are learning about your options, including filing a formal complaint under Harvard’s policies and procedures addressing sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct.
Advancing gender equity at Harvard is, and must be, a collective endeavor. We are grateful to engage in this effort with you and thank you for the input, investment, and influence you lend to shaping this community into one where each person can safely learn, live, work, and thrive.
Sincerely,
Nicole M. Merhill
Director, Office for Gender Equity and University Title IX Coordinator