Action Collaborative

The UW System – along with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine – joins other institutions in higher education to prevent and address sexual harassment by participating in the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. The Action Collaborative works to provide a framework to:

• raise awareness about sexual harassment and how it occurs, the consequences of sexual harassment, and the organizational characteristics and recommended approaches that can prevent it;
• share and elevate evidence-based institutional policies and strategies to reduce and prevent sexual harassment;
• contribute to setting the research agenda, and gather and apply research results across institutions; and
• develop a standard for measuring progress toward reducing and preventing sexual harassment in higher education.

The Action Collaborative creates an active space where colleges, universities, and other research and training institutions will identify, research, develop, and implement efforts that move beyond basic legal compliance to evidence-based policies and practices for addressing and preventing all forms of sexual harassment and promoting a campus climate of civility and respect.

Working Groups

Action Collaborative members are divided into four working groups focused on Prevention, Response, Remediation, and Evaluation.

These working groups meet virtually at least once a quarter to:

• identify promising practices within and beyond their institutions;
• engage and learn from those doing work and developing new approaches connected with the Working Group topics;
• work to address any on-the-ground barriers, unintended consequences, and challenges that arise in working to implement strategies and practices; and
• consider cross-cutting topics such as the experiences of those with intersecting identities, power dynamics between individuals and stakeholder groups, how to scale efforts from one type of institution to another, etc.

The UW System, along with 14 other members of the Action Collaborative, is part of the Prevention Working Group working to develop, implement, evaluate, and compile approaches for creating environments and organizational climates that prevent sexual harassment.

Resources

Sexual Misconduct, Employment References, and Hiring in Higher Education: Is it Time for the Duty or Care to Evolve? By Neal Schlavensky – Aug. 30, 2019

National Academy of Sciences’ “Sexual Harassment: Recognizing All Types” poster

Annual Summit

Sexual harassment in higher education is pervasive, harmful, and costly. This has been emphasized by brave women recounting their experiences and by the findings in the 2018 report Sexual Harassment of Women. To learn about promising approaches and innovative ideas or to share ideas about how to prevent and address sexual harassment, join the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Annual Summit.

This summit aims to identify and elevate promising practices for preventing sexual harassment in higher education. Through a combination of plenary sessions, panel discussions, and concurrent sessions, this day-and-a-half event serves as an opportunity for members of the Action Collaborative and the broader higher education community to gather information, engage in a dialogue, and gain diverse perspectives on how to effectively prevent sexual harassment.

Previous Events

View videos, slides, and posters from previous summits.

• Action Collaborative 2020 Virtual Summit, Co-hosted by the UW System
• National Academies Sexual Harassment Convocation 2018