CUIMC Joins University’s Membership in Collaborative to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Higher Ed

Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) has joined Columbia University’s membership in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.

The University is a sponsoring member of the collaborative, joining the effort as part of its commitment to fostering an environment free from gender-based discrimination and harassment, including sexual assault and all other forms of gender-based misconduct.

The medical center’s participation in the collaborative will facilitate additional partnerships and joint action to address and prevent sexual harassment and damaging behaviors, such as bullying and incivility, to create a climate of respect for everyone. 

The collaborative will bring together academic leaders and key stakeholders to prevent sexual harassment across all disciplines and among all people in higher education by raising awareness, sharing and elevating evidence-based institutional sexual harassment prevention policies and strategies, gathering and applying research results across institutions, and developing a standard for measuring progress toward reducing and preventing sexual harassment in higher education.

The collaborative builds on the National Academies’ 2018 report that found that between 20% and 50% of female students and more than 50% of female faculty and staff experienced sexually harassing behavior while in academia. 

The CUIMC representation will be led by Anne L. Taylor, MD, vice dean for academic affairs at Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and senior vice president for faculty affairs & career development at CUIMC. All four CUIMC schools have agreed to participate. For more information, write to the Office of Academic Affairs at office_acad_affairs@cumc.columbia.edu.