Press "Enter" to skip to content

New Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy

By Julian Wilson
Assistant Opinions Editor

On Nov. 19, 2014, the university issued a new memorandum and policy statement against harassment and discrimination. The policy, issued by Lee Kelly, Interim Executive Director of Human Resources, was sent out via email to all members of LIU Post, including students, staff, and faculty alike, as a way to raise awareness and help prevent incidents from happening.

Stated in the memorandum are various rules and regulations, prohibiting the actions of certain behavior. The policy states that the university “is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment that is free of bias, prejudice, discrimination and harassment, and an environment that supports, nurtures, and rewards career and educational advancement purely on the basis of ability and performance.”

Is this policy statement a good way to prevent incidents of harassment and discrimination? What do Post students think of it?

Nicole Curcio, a sophomore Dance major, thinks this is a step in the right direction. “I think that it is something that will help enforce a safer environment for the student body,” Curcio said. “I think it is very necessary considering that as we move further into the future, new and more aggressive ways to engage in harassment are being formed,” Curcio added, emphasizing the importance of the university to provide its thoughts on issues that can directly affect the students—like harassment and discrimination.

Meanwhile, senior Broadcasting major Miguel Montalvo thinks that sending the policy out via email was a good move, but also thinks that different steps could have been taken for a more effective outcome. “I feel like this approach via email was effective, but not as effective as a message of this caliber should have been,” Montalvo said.

He believes that this is a good start, but having more alternatives in place could help increase student and faculty awareness. “Other things such as lectures, programs and town hall meetings could help to address the issue,” Montalvo expressed. He seconded with Curcio’s notion that harassment and discrimination should not be tolerated by anyone.

I personally agree with Montalvo and Curcio. I think that this is a great way for students and faculty alike to become more aware of their surroundings and what’s going on around them. I agree with Curcio’s opinion in the sense that it’s important to be constantly updated and reminded daily of the various dangers that we encounter. Although, I also agree with Montalvo’s notion that more can be done to further raise general awareness. However, like Montalvo and Curcio, I think this is a great first step in the right direction.

What do you think about this new policy? Let us know at liupostpioneer@gmail.com.

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *