OGE Press Release 5/5/21

On March 24, 2021, Harvard announced the creation of the Office of Gender Equity (OGE), merging its Title IX office and the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR) into one. Spokespeople for the OGE emphasized that the office came about in response to community conversations, and have communicated that they want student input. Taking them at their word, Our Harvard Can Do Better has compiled demands for making the new Office of Gender Equity an effective tool in fighting sexual violence in our community, rather than a simple bureaucratic move. 

These demands are the result of weeks of brainstorming and speaking with community members. We believe them to be the bare minimum necessary to fight sexual violence at Harvard. In Fall 2021, two classes will experience a close-to-normal campus for the first time, and along with it, the period of heightened risk for sexual violence known as the Red Zone. If Harvard does not take responsibility and act quickly and boldly, an untold number of students this fall could face sexual violence. Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen the university make massive changes and investments to keep our community safe from Covid-19. They can do the same when it comes to sexual violence. Harvard must meet the following demands immediately:

1. Invest in Prevention: increase total SHARE staff at the OGE to 15.

OSAPR, which will be called SHARE in the new office, has rarely been fully staffed in the last few years. There is currently only one person carrying the weight of an entire office. We believe that a massive increase in staffing is necessary to meet the prevention and response needs of students now and in the coming semesters. We propose that the staff be increased to 10 full time staff who do counseling + prevention work and 5 restorative justice coordinators, to work proactively with student groups, houses, and campus communities.

2. Invest in People: Eliminate credential requirements for SHARE employees.

While we welcome the addition of new clinical social workers to SHARE’s staff, being a licensed social worker should not be a requirement for engaging in anti-rape work or restorative justice. We believe that this new requirement could be a barrier for diverse applicants who are otherwise qualified. It is important that the staff members have experience in trauma-informed care than additional degrees. 

3. Invest in Worker Protections: Safeguard union grievance processes for sexual harassment, including for HGSU-UAW workers.

We are concerned the university may use the new office as justification for undermining the rights of workers by forcing them into Title IX processes. Title IX shouldn’t come at the expense of union grievance processes that protect workers from sexual harassment. 

4. Invest in Transparency: Solicit new input by speaking with students and initiating an audit of the Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR). Disclose past feedback from last year’s wellness survey.

Student feedback should drive the formation of the OGE. The OGE should consistently seek and respond to new student input, frequently sharing updates about staffing and projects. 

The OGE should also respond to input provided in last year’s wellness survey, which asked students targeted questions related to campus services for survivors. The survey results should be made public, along with an action plan for how the OGE plans to respond to any concerns. One such concern is the harmful impact that ODR investigations can have on survivors. Investigations are extremely lengthy, and often degrading and traumatizing to survivors. An audit is needed to make recommendations for how this process could be improved for all parties.