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 been identified to assist members of our campus community with information, advice and/or in filing a complaint.
Primary Contact People (as defined by PNC Procedures for Resolving Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment):
| Laura Odom |
Asst. Director EEO & Training |
ext. 5545 |
Swrz 25C |
lodom@pnc.edu |
| John Coggins |
Asst. Vice Chancellor of Student Services/
Dean of Students |
ext. 5368 |
LSF 131 |
jcoggins@pnc.edu |
| Sue Miller |
Assoc. Vice Chancellor of Human Resources |
ext. 5300 |
Swrz 25N |
smiller@pnc.edu |
Other Individuals (who have agreed to be available to assist students, faculty and staff):
| Barbara Austin |
Director of Academic Advising |
ext. 5634 |
LSF 214 |
baustin@pnc.edu |
| Carol Kurmis |
Enrollment Manager Porter County |
531-4200 |
PPC |
ckurmis@pnc.edu |
| Sarah Sanders Smith |
Assistant Professor of Organizational
Leadership & Supervision |
ext. 5684 |
Tech 196 |
ssmith@pnc.edu |
| Dr. Jonathan Swarts |
Assistant Professor of Political Science |
ext. 5252 |
Swrz 210C |
jswarts@pnc.edu |
Actions You Can Take
1. Tell Someone – It is very important that you not 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. These actions will be very important if you decide to take any other steps including, but not limited to, filing a complaint.
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 helpful to them 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 for the appointment.
3. Write a Letter - Write a letter to the person documenting the incidents and explaining why they are offensive to you. It is usually suggested that the first paragraph of such a letter state the facts of the situation; second paragraph the emotional impact; and the third paragraph your expectations for resolution of the situation. 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 individual and/or department head, request a meeting with the two of them and take along a third party (a professor or one of the people listed in this section).
4. Notify the administration - If you have reason for concern that a member of the University community is or may be involved in discrimination or harassment 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, make the administration (or one of the persons listed above) aware of what you know. You can do this by letter or in person. This action will provide the administration with the opportunity to confront the situation and take appropriate action.
5. File a Complaint - This is a serious step and it is suggested that you seek counsel from one of the persons previously listed prior to taking this action. To file a complaint, students should contact the Dean of Students, LSF 103, Ext. 5368.
For more detailed information see Fostering Respect, Creating Community: Equal Access and Equal Opportunity at Purdue University which includes Equal Opportunity/Equal Access and Affirmative Action Policy (supersedes D-1), Anti-Harassment Policy (supersedes C-33), 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.
This information is also available on the EO/AA Web site.
