Responding to Threats and Harassment of Faculty

Resources

• Guide to Managing Threats and Harassment 
  • This detailed resource provides action steps for individual faculty and leaders, in the event of a threat or harassing activity.
    • External Resource
      • University of Massachusetts Resources for Responding to Harassment of UMass Faculty for their Research, Teaching, and Public Engagement
        (shared with permission, Level-1 access required)
• Faculty Support (email address: [email protected]) 
  • This email account is monitored by the Provost’s Office and Academic Human Resources to support faculty and campus leaders once a threat or a harassing event has occurred. The team will review and generally respond to inquiries within 2 business days, with suggestions for next steps, and referrals to other campus offices, as appropriate.
• University of Michigan Difficult Dialogues Meet the Moment Initiative
  • Coaching, training, events, and resources to engage in difficult conversations on campus.
• Checklist of What to Do from the Office of the Vice President for Communications
• Other Resources – see U-M Faculty Threats and Harassment Resources
  • This grid provides key links to relevant policies, procedures, and an array of resources.

Statement of Support from U-M Provost

February 15, 2024

U-M provost Laurie McCauley has spoken out in support of faculty who become the target of harassment stating, “At the University of Michigan, we firmly uphold the principles that empower our faculty to freely conduct research, express their ideas, challenge prevailing notions, and engage in robust discourse without reprisal.

In the performance of their academic duties, our faculty may incur criticism, from within the university community or outside it. This is intrinsic to all academic vocations. We recognize there is a crucial difference between robust, civil disagreement with a person’s ideas and harassment designed to make an individual feel unsafe or interfere with their ability to teach and conduct research.

In addition to the harm that threats and harassment cause our faculty as individuals, such behavior, often deliberately, has the potential to compromise our academic mission. The University of Michigan is committed to offering the breadth of its resources and support to faculty experiencing threats and/or harassment.”

Laurie K. McCauley
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor

 

Related U-M Articles and Reports

• Responding to Threats and Harassment of Faculty at the University of Michigan Recommendations Document
• University leaders voice support for academic freedom, denounce threats
  University Record, February 15, 2024
• U-M takes multi-pronged approach to address harassment of faculty
  University Record, March 12, 2025

Office of Public Affairs – Media Tips

• Provides media interview guidelines, covering preparation, effective communication strategies, broadcast-specific tips, and post-interview best practices to support professional interactions with reporters.