AERA Widely Emphasizes Harassment Policies
AERA Widely Emphasizes Harassment Policies
 
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April 2018

Prior to the start of the 2018 Annual Meeting, AERA issued and widely shared a statement emphasizing the Association’s commitment to making all of its meetings and activities free from harassment or discrimination for all attendees. The statement was highlighted in the meeting print program, the April 10 issue of AERA18 Insider, and on site at New York through flyers and standing poster boards.

The flyer also included relevant text from the AERA Code of Ethics, approved in 2011, that condemns discrimination, exploitation, and harassment among education researchers, as well as material from the special Town Hall Meeting, “Transforming a Culture of Sexual Exploitation and Harassment in the Academy and Scholarly Professions,” that took place at the Annual Meeting (see related Annual Meeting story).

The statement, titled “A Scholarly Opportunity and an Environment for Supportive, Open, and Inclusive Exchange,” noted that “It is the collective responsibility of all participants and attendees to support these aims so that the Annual Meeting is a respectful and supportive environment to consider the latest in research; discuss and debate the most pressing research issues in our field; and engage in important professional development, networking, and informal exchange.”

The statement furthermore encouraged any attendee who witnessed or experienced discrimination or harassment to contact AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine, or, if immediate attention was warranted, hotel security or 911.

“AERA takes seriously any form of harassment or discrimination that can have a harmful or chilling effect on anyone attending an AERA event,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “Our statement, which builds on the AERA Code of Ethics, sends an important signal to meeting attendees, to the education research field, and to the entire academic and scientific community.”

This topic is a priority for AERA alone and also in cooperation with other research associations. Those interested in further information or potential engagement are encouraged to email Levine at ethics@aera.net.