Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office
Discrimination/Harassment
What Can You As a Student Do If You Believe That:
• You have been discriminated against because of your race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran;
• An advisor does not take your career and educational goals seriously because the advisor appears to believe them inappropriate for your sex, age, race, or because of a physical, mental or emotional disability;
• A professor or staff person is pressuring you to participate in social and/or sexual activities.
Students often feel powerless in the situations described above, but there are people at Purdue University North Central who are willing to talk with you. Discrimination is not condoned by the University nor by the teaching profession. In some instances, it may occur out of ignorance or misunderstanding and need only to be brought to the attention of the person involved. In other instances, it may be considered unethical and subject to professional reprimand.
Who Can You Talk To?
Faculty, staff and administrators at Purdue University North Central are concerned about issues of equity and equality. While you may talk to anyone you feel comfortable with about these issues, the following individuals have agreed to be available to assist members of our campus community with information, advice and/or in filing a complaint. The primary Contact People as defined by our Procedures for Resolving Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment are: John Coggins or Sue Miller.
Barbara Austin, Director of Academic Advising, ext. 5634, LSF 214, baustin@pnc.edu
John Coggins, Dean of Students, ext. 5368, LSF 131, jtcoggin@pnc.edu
Jodi James, Coordinator of Disability Services,
ext. 5374, SWRZ 38, jjames@pnc.edu
Carol Kurmis, Enrollment Manager PPC, 531-4200, PPC, ckurmis@pnc.edu
Sue Miller, Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, ext. 5300, SWRZ 25N, smiller@pnc.edu
Sarah Sanders Smith, Ass't. Prof. of Organizational Leadership & Supervision, ext. 5684, TECH 196, ssmith@pnc.edu
Dr. Jonathan Swarts, Ass't. Prof. of Political Science, ext. 5252, SWRZ 210C, jswarts@pnc.edu
Actions You Can Take
1. Tell Someone - The most important thing is not to keep your concerns to yourself. Tell a friend, a family member, a professor, an advisor, a counselor...anyone. But do discuss your concerns. Also jot down the date the incident occurred and a brief description of what happened. This information will be very important if you decide to take any other steps.
2. Talk to the Person - Carefully explain why you view the particular comment, joke, action or behavior, as offensive. Regard the meeting as a consciousness-raising session where you help the individual to understand how you feel.
Sometimes people aren't aware of how their remarks or actions affect someone else. Communicating your feelings to the person might be most helpful in avoiding such actions in the future. Be sure to prepare for the meeting ahead of time with documentation (e.g., class notes, tapes, specific comments on behavior) and a logical presentation. Present your objection objectively and rationally.
To get support for yourself, consider going to see the person with several other people. Discussing the issues with others in itself may help raise consciousness. You might also seek help from one of the persons listed in this section. Talking to someone before going to a professor or staff member may help you to prepare your presentation more objectively and rationally.
3. Write a Letter - Write a letter to the person documenting the incidents and explaining why they are offensive to you. If appropriate, state that you have not obtained results from previous discussion(s) and note the date(s) of the discussion(s). You may also wish to send a copy to the head of the person's department or unit and to one of the people listed above. Keep a copy of all correspondence, date of discussion(s) with summary of discussion(s), etc. Documentation is very important.
If you fail to receive a satisfactory answer from the staff member and/or department head, request a meeting with the two of them and take along an objective third party (a professor or one of the people listed in this section).
4. Don't Enroll in Classes That Are Discriminatory - If you are aware that a professor discriminates on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran, do not enroll in the class and make the professor and department aware of why you are choosing not to enroll. It is also very important to always give full support to professors who are fair and who treat students humanely regardless of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran. Make that professor known for these positive qualities. Recognition and appreciation of this professor will also be a consciousness-raising experience for others.
5. It May Be Necessary To File a Complaint - This is a very serious step and should not be undertaken without discussion and counsel with one of the persons listed in this section. To file a complaint, contact the Dean of Students, LSF 103, Ext. 5368.
For further information see Fostering Respect, Creating Community: Equal Access and Equal Opportunity at Purdue University which includes Executive Memorandum No. D-1 (Revised), C-33, Revised February 1993 and Procedures for Handling Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment, Revised May 2004. Hardcopies are available in the Human Resources Office, Dean of Students Office or EO/AA Office.
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office
