Climate Committee

The UConn Philosophy Department has made a commitment to maintaining an environment in which all members of its community – faculty, students, staff, and visitors – can feel safe, respected, and supported, regardless of their racial, national, socioeconomic or ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  We regard this commitment as fully compatible with the freedom to adopt and defend any philosophical position and to subject each other’s arguments to rigorous evaluation.

Priorities and Initiatives

  1. to determine the extent to which we have been successful so far in fostering the climate we wish to have in our Department
  2. to identify and provide resources for members of our community who have suffered incidents of disrespect of any sort
  3. to find ways to minimize such incidents in the future, and
  4. to educate members of the department about general and particular ways to improve our climate

2023-2024 Members

Nelson Maldonado-Torres, Chair

Confidentiality FAQs

    What kinds of information is the Climate Committee required to report to the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)?

    All information concerning sexual assault; intimate partner violence; and stalking in which a student is involved must be reported to OIE immediately. Deans, Directors, Department Heads, and Supervisors are required to report any information about discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, to OIE.

    What happens if the Climate Committee receives anonymous information about sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking?

    The Committee must report the information that we have to OIE. OIE will review the information to determine an appropriate response.

        Does reporting information to OIE automatically trigger an investigation?

        No. When OIE receives information that someone has been the victim of an assault or harassment, that individual will receive outreach from the University (typically from the Associate Dean of Students for Victim Support Services) advising them of their options for reporting the matter to the University and/or to law enforcement and notifying them of available support resources. If the victim chooses not to initiate an investigation, that decision will be respected to the extent possible, consistent with the University’s obligations to protect the safety of the University community.

        Tools for the Classroom