Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment 2020 Summit

WASHINGTON, DC The Public Summit of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education is an open forum for those in the higher education ecosystem to collaboratively identify, discuss and elevate innovative and effective approaches for addressing and preventing sexual harassment. This annual event brings together a diverse group, including members of the Action Collaborative, the broader higher education community, sexual violence and harassment researchers, sexual harassment response practitioners, grassroots and nonprofit organizations, public and private foundations and federal and state policy makers.

The University of Wisconsin System will host the second annual national Public Summit of the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education at UW-Milwaukee on October 19-20, 2020. The agenda for the summit, along with registration information, will be available in summer 2020.

The Action Collaborative includes the UW System, as well as more than 60 organizations, including large public and private institutions, smaller technical or liberal arts institutions, community colleges, minority serving institutions and research and training sites. The UW System was the first state public higher education system to join the Action Collaborative as one of its 28 founding members.

The four goals of the Action Collaborative are 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.

Building on the discussion at last year’s Summit, the 2020 Summit will serve as an opportunity to gather evidence-based information, engage in a dialogue, and gain diverse perspectives on how to effectively combat sexual harassment.

To learn more about how the Action Collaborative is involving institutions, stakeholders and those with experiences of sexual harassment, see their Statement on Participants in the Action Collaborative.

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