Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment and New Accessibility Website
The message below was sent to the Yale community on Monday, August 2, 2021 from Kimberly Goff-Crews and Elizabeth Conklin.
Dear Members of the Yale Community,
Yale’s mission is advanced by fostering an environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, so that each one of us can participate freely and fully in the pursuit of excellence that defines our community.
As part of the ongoing and wide-ranging efforts around Belonging at Yale, we have reviewed existing policies, reporting processes, resources, and staff that support the work of preventing and addressing concerns of discrimination and harassment. We also assessed how the university’s resources for accessibility were communicated. This work was guided by the recommendations outlined in an external 2019 review of Yale’s institutional structures to prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment, and the 2020 report from the President’s Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
One outcome of this review is a consolidated Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment, which sets out in one place the definitions of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation applicable to all students, faculty, and staff that previously have been located in various documents.
In addition to and in support of this consolidated policy, the university has:
• Clarified the means for providing support, informal resolution, and investigation, where appropriate.
• Modified the name of the Office of Institutional Equity and Access to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA) to more fully capture its support for individuals with disabilities.
• Provided updated information about OIEA’s role and procedures.
• Changed the title of Deans’ Designees to Discrimination and Harassment Resource Coordinators to better describe their roles.
• Established an online reporting form.
• Added, and continues to add, staff to both OIEA and Student Accessibility Services.
Finally, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new website that gathers information and resources regarding accessibility at Yale for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This website gives a comprehensive picture of the resources available to provide people with disabilities equal access to and full participation in the university’s programs and activities.
Thank you for working together to create a community where each one of us is treated with dignity and respect.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Goff-Crews
Secretary and Vice President for University Life
Elizabeth Conklin
Associate Vice President for Institutional Equity, Accessibility, and Belonging