In the fall of 2023, the Institute conducted its first MIT Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Survey for Faculty and Staff. MIT contracted with a third-party company, Rankin Climate, LLC, to develop and administer the survey.
The survey was developed to respond to a working group recommendation that followed the 2018 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report on the sexual harassment of women. The survey assessed sexist/crude behavior and unwanted sexual attention, stalking, intimate partner violence, image-based sexual exploitation, sexual violence, bystander confidence, and knowledge of MIT resources.
See the 2023 MIT Employee Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Survey Results Executive Summary.
To respond to the survey’s findings, Provost Cynthia Barnhart and Vice President for Human Resources Ramona Allen have charged a subcommittee of the Committee on Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response (CSMPR) to review the full survey results; analyze current education and prevention outreach efforts to identify gaps; consider best practices at other institutions; develop recommendations to address identified gaps; and propose a plan to implement the committee’s recommendations.
Class of 1942 Professor of Chemistry Matt Shoulders and Senior Advisor to the Vice President for Human Resources Lianne Shields are co-chairing the subcommittee. The subcommittee will explore strategies for outreach to faculty and staff; determine how to ensure the consistency of annual education and prevention efforts; consider pathways for connecting with communities, including LBGTQ+ employees, unionized employees, and other underrepresented employee groups; and develop evaluation and assessment tools to identify effective strategies and best practices.
For more information about the survey, please contact mitemployeesms@mit.edu.
The sensitive topic of this survey may elicit an emotional reaction, including feelings of anxiety, sadness, or discomfort. For confidential emotional support, please consider reaching out to MIT MyLife Services. This 24/7 resource is available to staff, faculty, postdocs, and their household members. If you need additional information or would like to speak with a counselor, please contact MyLife Services by phone at 844-405-5433 or online.