A Message from the Chair of the Department of Philosophy
December 1, 2017
A Message from the Chair of the Department of Philosophy
To Our Students:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Philosophy that a student has reported, through an anonymous post on social media, having experienced inappropriate treatment of a sexual nature during an oral examination.
I wish to express the Philosophy Department’s concern for this student and its commitment to take the problem of sexual harassment seriously.
We realize how difficult it must be for someone who has suffered violation of any sort, but especially the intimate kind that sexual abuse is, to come forward and speak about it – for shame (no matter how undeserved), for the vulnerability that attesting to one’s experience of victimization exposes one to, and for fear of not being believed. We particularly recognize that a student might hesitate to file a complaint against her or his teacher, for fear of reprisal from someone in a position of power over her or him.
We would like to let our students know that should you experience sexual harassment, you need not suffer alone, in silence. There are grievance mechanisms available to you in the Loyola Schools. In the memo released by the Vice President of the Loyola Schools, Dr. Maria Luz Vilches, on May 31, 2017, it is stated that the first step you should take in the grievance process is to file a complaint in writing at the Office of the Vice President of the Loyola Schools (OVPLS).
The Philosophy Department encourages the particular student mentioned at the beginning of this letter, and any other who may have experienced harassment from any member of the Loyola Schools community, to report the incident to the Vice President of the Loyola Schools.
If you need assistance in filing this report, please feel free to approach me or any other member of the Faculty of Philosophy. Your confidence shall be handled with the utmost discretion, to ensure that you do not suffer academically for coming forward with your complaint.
Kindly read the VPLS’s memo on “Procedures for Filing and Handling Complaints Against Acts of a Sexual Nature,” posted here on the Philosophy Department website, for your guidance.
Very truly yours,
Jean P. Tan, Ph.D.
Chair
Department of Philosophy
