The Higher Ed Workplace Blog

CUPA-HR Submits Comments in Response to NASA Harassment Reporting Requirement

On August 16, CUPA-HR and six other higher education associations submitted comments in response to a Federal Register notice titled “Reporting Requirements Regarding Findings of Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment or Sexual Assault.” 

The notice, which was published on July 17, 2019, proposes the “implementation of new reporting requirements … to help ensure research environments to which the agency provides funding are free from sexual harassment, other forms of harassment and sexual assault.” Our comments to NASA confirm our commitment to addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault on campus, in labs and in education programs and highlight elements of the proposed reporting requirements that may have unanticipated consequences “that do not optimally align with NASA’s objectives or sufficiently advance our collective efforts to address and eliminate harassment in the scientific workplace.”

NASA’s proposal comes on the heels of a House Science Committee hearing on June 12 evaluating higher ed’s response to sexual harassment in STEM jobs on and off campuses, the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule amending Title IX regulations, and the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s new harassment reporting requirement for awardees which took effect in October 2018.

CUPA-HR has weighed in on both the NSF reporting requirements and the education department’s proposed Title IX rule, which is expected to be finalized this month.