A Statement of Commitment to Zero Tolerance of Harassment and Discrimination in Schools and Programs of Public Health

Abstract

The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health convened a Task Force on Zero Tolerance of Harassment and Discrimination in 2019 to develop a policy statement and strategies for addressing harassment of all types in institutions offering public health education. We outline the premises and scholarly foundation for the development of the Statement of Commitment to Zero Tolerance of Harassment and Discrimination, the statement itself, and future plans for realizing the aspiration established in the statement. The development of this living document is predicated on the belief that it is the core responsibility of academic institutions to build the knowledge and that it is the responsibility of leaders, namely deans of schools of public health and directors of public health programs, to lead in building the shared knowledge and insist on the practices that create institutions for a better future free of harassment and discrimination. Our statement is informed by the knowledge that aggressions in the form of harassment and discrimination undermine the health and well-being of individuals, the public, and populations.

Women Academics’ Intersectional Experiences of Policy Ineffectiveness in the European Context

“…On the contrary, non-discrimination policies and laws have led to an epidemic of subtle and selective discrimination (Cortina et al, 2013;Jones et al, 2017). Relatedly, despite efforts to formulate concrete and implementable zero-tolerance policies (e.g., Halkitis et al, 2020), scholars criticize that such documents often end up being purely performative (Ahmed, 2007b;Kimura, 2014). For instance, in the context of fighting racism in higher education in the United Kingdom, Ahmed (2007b) observes that universities committed to the Race Relations Amendment Act "end up doing the document rather than doing the doing."…”

Preparing Students for a More Public Health–Aware Market in Response to COVID-19

“…If we are to truly address racial/ethnic health disparities, we must recruit into the public health work force people who represent the communities being served and who are capable of understanding and addressing the needs of their communities (9). Progress has been made in diversifying faculty and students in public health education, yet work remains to establish an academy that reflects the community (10). Schools and programs of public health have clearly stated their commitment to zero tolerance of harassment and discrimination (11).…”

Leading Change at Berkeley Public Health: Building the Anti-racist Community for Justice and Social Transformative Change

“…The American Public Health Association, the Council on Education for Public Health, and the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health have each declared racism a public health crisis and taken steps to promote antiracism in the profession and support schools and programs of public health (SPPH) with the tools for antiracist transformation (Table 1) (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). These efforts demonstrate a clear trend toward SPPH being intentional about transforming into diverse, equity-minded, inclusive, and antiracist institutions.…”