by Marcia Martínez-Helfman, JD, MSW, 2019-2020 IOA President

Greetings, Colleagues –

I want to share with you this letter I received from the National Academies' Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education acknowledging the IOA as a founding member of this very important effort to address sexual misconduct in academia. IOA has made a four-year commitment to this effort. Hats off to Jessica Kuchta-Miller, IOA Board member and Government & Policy Committee Co-Chair, for bringing this opportunity to the IOA.

The Action Collaborative will host an annual summit every fall in a different part of the country. The Summit is an opportunity to gather information, engage in a dialogue, gain diverse perspectives on how to effectively prevent sexual harassment and abuse, and ultimately identify and elevate promising practices for preventing sexual harassment and abuse. This year's Summit will be held November 19 - 20, 2019 at the University of Washington in Seattle, and is free and open to the public. Jessica Kutcha-Miller and Chuck Howard will be attending on behalf of IOA, and will be sharing information about the value and effectiveness of ombuds programs with Summit participants.

NASEM Action Collaborative Summit

20-21 November 2019
University of Washington
More information: www.nas.edu/ACSummit2019

Sexual harassment in higher education is pervasive, harmful, and costly. Changes to the culture and climate can prevent it. On November 19-20, join the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education for its Inaugural Annual Summit. The Summit aims to identify and elevate promising practices for preventing sexual harassment in higher education through a combination of plenary sessions, panel discussions, and concurrent sessions.

This free day-and-a-half event will serve as an opportunity for members of the Action Collaborative -- including IOA --  and the broader higher education community to gather information, engage in a dialogue, and gain diverse perspectives on how to effectively prevent sexual harassment.

To register to attend either in person or virtually visit www.nas.edu/ACSummit2019

Also Read the June Announcement Post

Best,
Marcia

Marcia Martínez-Helfman, JD, MSW
2019-2020 IOA President