From aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net Thu Feb 2 09:43:58 2006 From: aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net (aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net) Date: Thu Feb 2 10:02:12 2006 Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] Women's Conference at Edmonds CC Message-ID: To: All AAUW-WA Members From: Carolyn Hayek, president@aauw-wa.org Re: Edmonds Community College Conference for Women, March 11 Laura Cross, President of the Edmonds Branch of AAUW, invites AAUW members from across the state to consider attending the March 11 conference for women sponsored by Edmonds Community College. Our own Jackie DeFazio, past national president of AAUW, will present an afternoon workshop highlighting the results of the AAUW research on sexual harassment. This is also a good opportunity to encourage younger women in your family or circle of friends to participate with you in an activity. The cost is very reasonable. This is a great way to encourage cross-generation communication. Please share this information with others who may be interested. A letter of invitation is copied below, followed by a registration form. A pdf flyer, appropriate for posting or further distribution, is available by e-mail attachment from Lori Cross, President, Edmonds Branch AAUW, locross@verizon.net, 425-774-2991. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Community Member: We would like to invite you to "Connecting, Empowering, and Leading into the Future," the 1st Annual Community College Women's Conference. It will be held at Edmonds Community College on March 11, 2006; pre-registration will be on March 10 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. It is our hope that this conference will serve as a wellspring as it examines gender identity through the lens of self-identity, women's issues, feminist principles, social justice and anti-sexism. This event is an exciting opportunity to meet with and learn from a variety of intelligent, dynamic, and interesting group of professionals. Participants will also learn to develop leadership skills to actively work for social justice. General topics will include leadership, social change, education, career and entrepreneurialism, relationships, and health and wellness. To sign up, please fill out the attached registration form. Free overnight accommodations are available for those who request it; accommodations will be on the floor of the Seaview Gym, so we recommend that you bring your sleeping bag. Also note that attendees will have access to the locker room showers. Those who wish to avail of the free accommodations need to be 18 or older. The following hotel is located approximately two miles from Edmonds Community College. When making your reservation, please be sure to tell the hotel you are attending the Community College Women's Conference at Edmonds Community College to be eligible for reduced rates. Best Western Alderwood 19332 36th Avenue W Lynnwood, Washington, 98036-5710 Phone: 425-775-7600 Please feel free to reach us at 425-640-1581 should you have any further questions. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you there! Sincerely, Shirley Sutton Director, Equity and Diversity Center Edmonds Community College Lynnwood, WA 98036 -------------------------------------------------------- Connecting, Empowering and Leading into the Future 1st Annual Community College Women's Conference Edmonds Community College -March 11, 2006 Registration Form Registration Dates Student Fee Non-student Fee Before February 24 $45.00 $55.00 After February 24 $55.00 $65.00 **If you need a scholarship, please complete the Scholarship Application form and submit it with this registration form. There will be no refunds after February 24, 2006. Name: School name: School Address: Email: Phone: Dietary Needs, if any: Special accommodations, if any: Will you be staying at the gym? (must be 18 or older) Will you be paying by: ? College/agency purchase order ? Check ? Credit card: ? Visa ?MC ? AmEx Expiration date: __________________ Credit card number:_______________________________________________ Submit Registration By Mail Edmonds Community College Student Programs/ Women's Conference 20000 68th Avenue West Lynnwood, WA 98036 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.olympus.net/pipermail/aauw-atlarge/attachments/20060202/42baa253/attachment-0001.html From aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net Sun Feb 12 11:52:00 2006 From: aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net (aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 11:52:20 2006 Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] Adelante Books for Feb. and Mar. Message-ID: Forwarded from Julie Buffington, diversity@aauw-wa.org, by Carolyn Hayek, president@aauw-wa.org, to all AAUW-WA members: ?Adelante! Books of the Month for February and March 2006 February is Black History Month. Increase your knowledge by reading, watching television documentaries or participating in events in your community and encouraging your colleagues to do the same. ?Adelante! Book for February, 2006: The Known World by Edward P. Jones (2003) -- Henry Townsend, a black farmer, bootmaker, and former slave, has a fondness for Paradise Lost and an unusual mentor ? William Robbins, perhaps the most powerful man in antebellum Virginia's Manchester County. Under Robbins's tutelage, Henry becomes proprietor of his own plantation ? as well as of his own slaves. When he dies, his widow, Caldonia, succumbs to profound grief, and things begin to fall apart at their plantation. Edward P. Jones was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Winner of the Pen/Hemingway Award and recipient of the Lannan Foundation Grant, Jones was educated at Holy Cross College and the University of Virginia. Mr. Jones was named a National Book Award finalist for a second time with the publication of his debut novel The Known World which subsequently won the prestigious 2004 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. March is Women?s History Month. Now is the time to plan to celebrate International Women?s Day on Wednesday, March 8. ?Adelante! Book for March: Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts (2004) -- While the "fathers" were off founding the country, what were the women doing? Running their husband?s businesses, raising their children plus providing political information and advice. This will be the story of some of those women, as learned through their seldom seen letters and diaries, and the letters from the men to them. It will be a story of the beginnings of the nation as viewed from the distaff side. Cokie Roberts serves as a senior news analyst for National Public Radio (NPR), where she was the congressional correspondent for more than ten years. In addition to her work for NPR, Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News, serving as an on-air analyst for the network. Join a Book Club Book clubs are a fun, social way to open a dialogue on women, diversity, and change. Many AAUW members share a love of reading, and that love, partnered with a desire to seek out books written from diverse perspectives, launched a new component of AAUW's diversity outreach program in 1996? AAUW's ?Adelante! Book of the Month Club. Since then, AAUW members have enjoyed exploring new ideas and perspectives through monthly discussions, both in person and through e-mail. ?Adelante! book groups meet in book stores, libraries, other public venues, and online, gathering both members and nonmembers to talk about issues of social justice based on the month?s selection. Visit http://www.aauw.org/community_programs/adelante/index.cfm for additional information and lists of the books. JOIN THE DISCUSSION ONLINE AAUW supports an online discussion board for ?Adelante! books and related discussions. See http://discuss.aauw.org/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1 to join the discussion. Julie Buffington, diversity@aauw-wa.org AAUW of Washington Diversity Chair From aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net Wed Feb 15 11:16:33 2006 From: aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net (aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net) Date: Wed Feb 15 11:16:57 2006 Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] FW: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW's Response Published in SF Chronicle Message-ID: RE: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW Local Press Release TemplateTo: Members at Large From: Carolyn Hayek, president@aauw-wa.org I am forwarding this e-mail because I think you would like to be informed that our recent national study on sexual harassment has generated some controversy. Do you think we are just creating a climate in which everyone is a victim and legitimate free speech is inhibited unfairly? Is there a problem with sexual advances and jokes that don't rise to the level of illegal behavior? Is there a practical way to deal with these challenges without having the remedy be worse than the problem? Let me know your thoughts. While I have your attention, let me remind you that members at large are welcome to attend our state convention. You will find details on the website at: www.aauw-wa.org. There will be a special workshop for graduate students, so please spread the word to those who might be interested. Also, Washington State AAUW is offering a $500 scholarship to our national College Women Student Leaders conference, which will focus on sexual harassment issues, but cover other topics as well. That conference is June 7-10 in DC. Please help us spread the word about that as well. -----Original Message----- From: Carr, Ashley [mailto:CARRA@aauw.org] Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 10:39 AM To: AAUW theme Subject: RE: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW's Response Published in SF Chronicle Importance: High Dear Theme Team Members: This is in regard to a negative column ("When Sexual Harassment is a Joke," by Debra Saunders) that was published about the AAUW Educational Foundation's sexual harassment on campus research in the San Francisco Chronicle. We wanted you to be aware of AAUW's response to the piece and that it was published in the San Francisco Chronicle recently. We are pleased that AAUW's response was published by the San Francisco Chronicle, albeit in an abbreviated form. The published letter appears below, as edited by the Chronicle. We've also included the letter as submitted to them and Saunders' negative column below. The San Francisco Chronicle is Saunders' base paper, but her column is picked up by some additional/smaller papers and online vehicles. AAUW's response has also been sent to those who ran her column and accept Letters to the Editor submissions. ~Ashley Ashley Carr Director of Communication American Association of University Women Because Equity Is Still an Issue www.aauw.org San Francisco Chronicle LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Sunday, February 12, 2006 Harassment no joke Editor -- Debra J. Saunders' column ("When sexual harassment is a joke," Jan. 31) spurns research by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation on an issue that too many college students find stressful and upsetting. AAUW's research shows that nearly two-thirds of students experience some form of sexually harassing behavior. Most experience noncontact harassment -- jokes, gestures, remarks -- but nearly one-third experience physical harassment. It is true that many students don't report sexual harassment, even when they are upset by their experiences. Saunders' column undermines the experiences and perspectives of today's college students and does nothing to support the proactive efforts of AAUW and other organizations and campus groups that are working to create safe and supportive campus environments for all students. We encourage your readers to visit www.aauw.org to view the research for themselves. BARBARA O'CONNOR President AAUW Educational Foundation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- [Letter as submitted to San Francisco Chronicle] Dear Editor: Debra J. Saunders' column ("When Sexual Harassment is a Joke," Jan. 31) spurns research by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation on an issue that too many college students find stressful and upsetting. AAUW's research shows that nearly two-thirds of students experience some form of sexually harassing behavior. Most experience noncontact harassment-jokes, gestures, remarks-but nearly one-third experience physical harassment. AAUW defined sexual harassment broadly as "unwanted and unwelcome sexual conduct that interferes with your life" in the context of the college experience. We intentionally used a broad definition because the student experience on campus is influenced by many kinds of conduct that are not illegal or criminal. The legal standard is, of course, more stringent, but AAUW is confident that most colleges and universities are seeking to create a campus climate and learning environment that goes beyond "no laws were broken." It is true that many students don't report sexual harassment, even when they are upset by their experiences. The AAUW study found that more than one-third tell no one-not even a friend. Saunders' column undermines the experiences and perspectives of today's college students and does nothing to support the proactive efforts of AAUW and other organizations and campus groups that are working to create safe and supportive campus environments for all students. We encourage your readers to visit www.aauw.org to view the research for themselves. Barbara O'Connor President AAUW Educational Foundation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- Tuesday, January 31, 2006 (SF Chronicle) When sexual harassment is a joke Debra J. Saunders BY THE YEAR 2020, every American will be a victim. Give it another 15 years, and there will be a study that puts every man, woman and child into one aggrieved group or another. In that spirit, a new study by the American Association of University Women found that "nearly two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment at some point during college." When you consider what the AAUW's definition of sexual harassment is -- "unwanted or unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with your life" -- it is surprising that the percentage is so low. The study even lists "sexual comments, jokes, gestures or looks" as "examples of different types of sexual harassment." As the Philadelphia-based group FIRE -- Foundation for Individual Rights in Education -- noted in a press release, the AAUW's definition risks "trivializing actual harassment." Samantha Harris of FIRE noted, "If I were someone who experienced real harassment, I wouldn't want to be lumped in with people who heard a bad joke." FIRE prefers the federal government's definition: conduct "so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it affects a student's ability to participate in or benefit from an education program or activity, or creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive education environment." That definition puts the burden of proof on the accuser, where it belongs. The AAUW, alas, wasn't looking for severe or persistent. The study also did not bother to distinguish between students and teachers. This means that if a date became too aggressive -- that is, "touched, grabbed or pinched in a sexual way" that was unwanted -- that could qualify as sexual harassment on campus, for the study's purposes. Even if he backed off. Barbara O'Connor, a professor of political communication at California State University Sacramento, noted that she has seen "enough serious cases to know (sexual harassment) exists. You don't want to make it so silly that the serious ones don't get treated." FIRE is afraid that universities will use ratcheted-up sexual harassment rules to stifle free speech. Ditto O'Connor, who noted, "It would take all the fun out of life, if you couldn't have conversations." Harris noted, "Harassment policies are frequently used to suppress any speech that someone might find offensive." William Paterson University of New Jersey reprimanded a graduate student and employee who sent an e-mail to a professor in which he objected to a movie about two aging lesbians -- he called them "perversions" -- after the professor complained that she felt threatened by the e-mail. In December, after FIRE got involved, the school revoked the reprimand -- but the reprimand never should have happened. The AAUW study even listed someone calling you "gay or lesbian" to be sexual harassment, if the words are unwanted. This should scare you: 57 percent of students polled want their college to set up an Internet site where they can make anonymous accusations of sexual harassment. This reinforces the strong sense I get that the AAUW doesn't think students have an obligation to fend for themselves. Worse, universities are instilling students with the belief that they have an "absolute right not to be offended," Harris noted -- which means that when they graduate, "they're in for a rude awakening in the real world." The AAUW also trivializes criminal behavior by lumping it into the sexual harassment category. The study didn't refer to rape as sexual harassment, but the AAUW released the study with a statement by a student who said she had been raped. Rape -- that's a felony. But she talked about it as if it were not a matter for the authorities, but her school's women's resource center, 24-hour-hot line and free counseling. One sophomore noted, "There's a guy in all my classes who consistently touches me in a sexual way that I really don't appreciate." What is her major? Victimhood. Forget anonymous tip lines and counseling. Get angry and stand up for yourself. If a guy grabs a body part he has no business touching, you yell, warn him to stop. Complain to your professor. If that doesn't stop the brute, punch him. Trust me. It works. E-mail: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com. ------------------------------------------------- --------------------- Copyright 2006 SF Chronicle --- You are currently subscribed to theme as: chayek@verizon.net. Please direct all questions and comments to listedit@aauw.org --- American Association Of University Women 1111, 16th Steet N.W. Washington DC, 20036 Please direct any questions or comments to: listedit@aauw.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.olympus.net/pipermail/aauw-atlarge/attachments/20060215/a6bb2952/attachment-0001.html From aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net Tue Feb 21 12:39:24 2006 From: aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net (aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net) Date: Tue Feb 21 12:57:12 2006 Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] Come to state convention! Message-ID: 2006ConventionNews February, 2006 Women on the move . . . . AAUW OF WASHINGTON STATE CONVENTION Subject: Come on over, y'all hear? Come and join us at the 2006 AAUW-WA Convention April 21 - 23 in accessible and fun Mt. Vernon. There are a lot of nearby activities in addition to planned workshops and presentations designed to offer helpful, insightful information that supports our mission and vision. We are not skimping on the entertainment and food, either. There will be special tables and a special welcome for Members at Large. This is an opportunity for you to feel involved and part of our organization, and we can get to know each other. It is also an excellent opportunity for you to let us know how AAUW-WA can better serve you. Check out the schedule and list of impressive speakers on the State website at www.aauw-wa.org. To reach the member's pages, log in with your membership number and your last name, first letter capitalized. Under EVENTS & RECORDS>State Convention, click on any of the convention news articles for convention details and/or download your registration form. Be sure to register before March 15, 2006, for the early-bird savings, and also to reserve rooms at the convention hotel as soon as possible. Things get very busy in April because of the Tulip Festival. An entire floor has been set aside for AAUW at a special rate, so be sure to tell them you are with AAUW. Register today for this exciting weekend! AAUW of Washington State Convention Best Western Cotton Tree Inn, Mount Vernon April 21-23, 2006 For more information and registration form: http://www.aauw-wa.org/members/events/sc_convention_info.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.olympus.net/pipermail/aauw-atlarge/attachments/20060221/4dec0018/attachment.html From aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net Wed Feb 22 13:28:25 2006 From: aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net (aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net) Date: Wed Feb 22 13:47:11 2006 Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] Mentoring Message-ID: Mentoring By Carolyn Hayek, President@aauw-wa.org To me, mentoring is helping others along their path in life by sharing ideas, information and encouragement, and by providing constructive feedback, especially in regard to career and leadership opportunities. Related to mentoring is providing actual assistance in terms of transportation, letters of recommendation, financial assistance, and more. Haven't we all been mentored by many people? One of the wonderful aspects of belonging to AAUW is the chance to be part of a group in which members help each other grow in wisdom and experience, both as peers and across the generations. My mother, Marion Hayek, has been recognized this year as a 50-year member of AAUW. Not only did I grow up in the organization, she volunteered me to her AAUW friends as an "expert" on the student perspective, and a potential speaker, before I had even finished school. Soon after my law school graduation, AAUW members volunteered to help me run as a candidate for city council on Mercer Island. After all the help and support I had received, it didn't take much to get me to pay my dues, as I have now done for 32 years. There were many more instances of the "older generation" of AAUW members opening doors for me or helping me with projects I had initiated. Some of you have heard me say that I have had so much support from AAUW members over the years (and so much fun in my various AAUW activities) that I could never consider dropping my membership, no matter what the challenges that come my way. Last year my daughter Laura became an AAUW Student Affiliate. She may or may not stick with the organization, but I had to smile when she said she'd used four AAUW references for a paper she was writing for her Sociology of Women class. Her topic was "Obstacles to Women in Math and Science Careers." This, of course, is the same child who showed little interest in science until she attended Expanding Your Horizons as a 7th Grader. She's now majoring in Molecular Biology and will do research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute this summer. AAUW of Washington recently lost a wonderful mentor and role model. While I didn't know her well, I had been aware of Dr. Winifred Weter for decades. She died January 6, 2006, at the age of 96. A member of AAUW for 75 years, she had an outstanding career as a Professor of Classical Greek at Seattle Pacific University. She also served as coach of the SPU women's basketball team for 13 years! While president of the Seattle Branch, she proudly helped eliminate racial barriers within the organization. When the vote took place at the national convention held in Seattle in 1949, many members from the South walked out of the meeting. Dr. Weter's mother was also a long-time member of the Seattle Branch of AAUW. In her will, Dr. Weter established an endowment with the Educational Foundation in honor of her mother. She also left a significant bequest to the Seattle Branch. Her gifts will continue the cycle of helping others for generations to come. Our national organization is helping us reach out to younger women in our families and communities by sponsoring the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, to be held June 7 to 10, 2006. AAUW-WA is offering a $500 scholarship to encourage a young woman from Washington to attend. Scholarships are also available from our national organization. Can you mentor a young woman in your community or family by helping her to attend this conference? Further information is available on both our state and national websites. The title of the conference is: Summit on Sexual Harassment - Leading Change on Campus and Beyond. We all need to look for opportunities to share what AAUW has given us with those who are coming along behind. There are many ways to do this if we just keep our eyes open and look for creative opportunities. Let's also remember to say "Thank you" to those who have helped us along the way, as role models, event planners, soulmates and mothers - to Marion Hayek, Winifred Weter, and the thousands of other Washington State AAUW members who have paved the way for others, while working for education and equity for all women and girls. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.olympus.net/pipermail/aauw-atlarge/attachments/20060222/f777913e/attachment.html From aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net Wed Feb 15 15:09:47 2006 From: aauw-atlarge at lists.olympus.net (aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net) Date: Thu Feb 23 16:31:36 2006 Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] FW: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW's Response Published in SFChronicle References: Message-ID: RE: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW Local Press Release TemplateThank you for the opportunity to respond. These questions are especially important now, in an environment where Muslims are reacting violently to what they see as harassing behavior that others categorize as free speech. I have been thinking about the old saw "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me", and wondering if a better course might be (in these verbally harassing situations) to teach our young women (and men) that words are only offensive if you let them be. Let's teach our young people that the source should be considered, and that those who use sexual jokes and remarks to communicate are really simply stupid and can be ignored. I do think that we create a victim climate and further a climate of intolerance and polarization if we continue to encourage offense-taking. This is not to argue that words are not serious, because the other side of our teaching has got to be that we all need to consider our words carefully, if for no other reason that politeness and courtesy. There is a distinction to be made between jokes, remarks, and gestures, and behavior that rises to the level of the physical or to something on the order of stalking. In my day, groups of men would whistle and make comments at the young women who passed by. I was always embarrassed when this happened and would go to great lengths to avoid having to pass by those men. But I think now that this only gave them power. I would advise women now to proudly go on by. But having been the target of an extended campaign to get a date, these kind of activities when directed and targeted can engender real fear, not just "offense", and there should be organizational remedies. This cannot be ignored because it is no longer just "words" but extended action. Sandra Christensen ----- Original Message ----- From: aauw-atlarge@lists.olympus.net To: AAUW-WA Members-at-Large Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 11:16 AM Subject: [AAUW-atlarge] FW: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW's Response Published in SFChronicle To: Members at Large From: Carolyn Hayek, president@aauw-wa.org I am forwarding this e-mail because I think you would like to be informed that our recent national study on sexual harassment has generated some controversy. Do you think we are just creating a climate in which everyone is a victim and legitimate free speech is inhibited unfairly? Is there a problem with sexual advances and jokes that don't rise to the level of illegal behavior? Is there a practical way to deal with these challenges without having the remedy be worse than the problem? Let me know your thoughts While I have your attention, let me remind you that members at large are welcome to attend our state convention. You will find details on the website at: www.aauw-wa.org. There will be a special workshop for graduate students, so please spread the word to those who might be interested. Also, Washington State AAUW is offering a $500 scholarship to our national College Women Student Leaders conference, which will focus on sexual harassment issues, but cover other topics as well. That conference is June 7-10 in DC. Please help us spread the word about that as well. -----Original Message----- From: Carr, Ashley [mailto:CARRA@aauw.org] Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 10:39 AM To: AAUW theme Subject: RE: PRIORITY/FYI - AAUW's Response Published in SF Chronicle Importance: High Dear Theme Team Members: This is in regard to a negative column ("When Sexual Harassment is a Joke," by Debra Saunders) that was published about the AAUW Educational Foundation's sexual harassment on campus research in the San Francisco Chronicle. We wanted you to be aware of AAUW's response to the piece and that it was published in the San Francisco Chronicle recently. We are pleased that AAUW's response was published by the San Francisco Chronicle, albeit in an abbreviated form. The published letter appears below, as edited by the Chronicle. We've also included the letter as submitted to them and Saunders' negative column below. The San Francisco Chronicle is Saunders' base paper, but her column is picked up by some additional/smaller papers and online vehicles. AAUW's response has also been sent to those who ran her column and accept Letters to the Editor submissions. ~Ashley Ashley Carr Director of Communication American Association of University Women Because Equity Is Still an Issue www.aauw.org San Francisco Chronicle LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Sunday, February 12, 2006 Harassment no joke Editor -- Debra J. Saunders' column ("When sexual harassment is a joke," Jan. 31) spurns research by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation on an issue that too many college students find stressful and upsetting. AAUW's research shows that nearly two-thirds of students experience some form of sexually harassing behavior. Most experience noncontact harassment -- jokes, gestures, remarks -- but nearly one-third experience physical harassment. It is true that many students don't report sexual harassment, even when they are upset by their experiences. Saunders' column undermines the experiences and perspectives of today's college students and does nothing to support the proactive efforts of AAUW and other organizations and campus groups that are working to create safe and supportive campus environments for all students. We encourage your readers to visit www.aauw.org to view the research for themselves. BARBARA O'CONNOR President AAUW Educational Foundation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Letter as submitted to San Francisco Chronicle] Dear Editor: Debra J. Saunders' column ("When Sexual Harassment is a Joke," Jan. 31) spurns research by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation on an issue that too many college students find stressful and upsetting. AAUW's research shows that nearly two-thirds of students experience some form of sexually harassing behavior. Most experience noncontact harassment-jokes, gestures, remarks-but nearly one-third experience physical harassment. AAUW defined sexual harassment broadly as "unwanted and unwelcome sexual conduct that interferes with your life" in the context of the college experience. We intentionally used a broad definition because the student experience on campus is influenced by many kinds of conduct that are not illegal or criminal. The legal standard is, of course, more stringent, but AAUW is confident that most colleges and universities are seeking to create a campus climate and learning environment that goes beyond "no laws were broken." It is true that many students don't report sexual harassment, even when they are upset by their experiences. The AAUW study found that more than one-third tell no one-not even a friend. Saunders' column undermines the experiences and perspectives of today's college students and does nothing to support the proactive efforts of AAUW and other organizations and campus groups that are working to create safe and supportive campus environments for all students. We encourage your readers to visit www.aauw.org to view the research for themselves. Barbara O'Connor President AAUW Educational Foundation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, January 31, 2006 (SF Chronicle) When sexual harassment is a joke Debra J. Saunders BY THE YEAR 2020, every American will be a victim. Give it another 15 years, and there will be a study that puts every man, woman and child into one aggrieved group or another. In that spirit, a new study by the American Association of University Women found that "nearly two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment at some point during college." When you consider what the AAUW's definition of sexual harassment is -- "unwanted or unwelcome sexual behavior that interferes with your life" -- it is surprising that the percentage is so low. The study even lists "sexual comments, jokes, gestures or looks" as "examples of different types of sexual harassment." As the Philadelphia-based group FIRE -- Foundation for Individual Rights in Education -- noted in a press release, the AAUW's definition risks "trivializing actual harassment." Samantha Harris of FIRE noted, "If I were someone who experienced real harassment, I wouldn't want to be lumped in with people who heard a bad joke." FIRE prefers the federal government's definition: conduct "so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it affects a student's ability to participate in or benefit from an education program or activity, or creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive education environment." That definition puts the burden of proof on the accuser, where it belongs. The AAUW, alas, wasn't looking for severe or persistent. The study also did not bother to distinguish between students and teachers. This means that if a date became too aggressive -- that is, "touched, grabbed or pinched in a sexual way" that was unwanted -- that could qualify as sexual harassment on campus, for the study's purposes. Even if he backed off. Barbara O'Connor, a professor of political communication at California State University Sacramento, noted that she has seen "enough serious cases to know (sexual harassment) exists. You don't want to make it so silly that the serious ones don't get treated." FIRE is afraid that universities will use ratcheted-up sexual harassment rules to stifle free speech. Ditto O'Connor, who noted, "It would take all the fun out of life, if you couldn't have conversations." Harris noted, "Harassment policies are frequently used to suppress any speech that someone might find offensive." William Paterson University of New Jersey reprimanded a graduate student and employee who sent an e-mail to a professor in which he objected to a movie about two aging lesbians -- he called them "perversions" -- after the professor complained that she felt threatened by the e-mail. In December, after FIRE got involved, the school revoked the reprimand -- but the reprimand never should have happened. The AAUW study even listed someone calling you "gay or lesbian" to be sexual harassment, if the words are unwanted. This should scare you: 57 percent of students polled want their college to set up an Internet site where they can make anonymous accusations of sexual harassment. This reinforces the strong sense I get that the AAUW doesn't think students have an obligation to fend for themselves. Worse, universities are instilling students with the belief that they have an "absolute right not to be offended," Harris noted -- which means that when they graduate, "they're in for a rude awakening in the real world." The AAUW also trivializes criminal behavior by lumping it into the sexual harassment category. The study didn't refer to rape as sexual harassment, but the AAUW released the study with a statement by a student who said she had been raped. Rape -- that's a felony. But she talked about it as if it were not a matter for the authorities, but her school's women's resource center, 24-hour-hot line and free counseling. One sophomore noted, "There's a guy in all my classes who consistently touches me in a sexual way that I really don't appreciate." What is her major? Victimhood Forget anonymous tip lines and counseling. Get angry and stand up for yourself. If a guy grabs a body part he has no business touching, you yell, warn him to stop. Complain to your professor. If that doesn't stop the brute, punch him. Trust me. It works. E-mail: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2006 SF Chronicle --- You are currently subscribed to theme as: chayek@verizon.net. Please direct all questions and comments to listedit@aauw.org --- American Association Of University Women 1111, 16th Steet N.W. Washington DC, 20036 Please direct any questions or comments to: listedit@aauw.org _______________________________________________ AAUW-atlarge mailing list AAUW-atlarge@lists.olympus.net http://lists.olympus.net/mailman/listinfo/aauw-atlarge -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.olympus.net/pipermail/aauw-atlarge/attachments/20060215/c2f3651c/attachment-0001.html