Prof. Volker Oberacker (Chair)                             Prof. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann            



                                       

                                                    Dr. Erika Grundstrom (postdoc)                                                     Lauren Palladino



                                       Nathan Brewer                                                                                   Holley Lynch

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Past members of the Climate Committee

Prof. Victoria Greene (Chair), Feb. 2007 - August 2008

Heather Whitney, grad. student member, Feb. 2007 - August 2008

Matthew Weippert, grad. student member, Spring semester 2007

Heather Andrews, research faculty member, Feb. 2007 - August 2009

Ronald Belmont, grad. student member, Feb. 2007 - August 2010

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Documents for graduate students prepared by the Climate Committee

During the academic year 2007/08, the Climate Committee (chaired by Prof. Victoria Greene) developed two documents which address several issues that are typically encountered by graduate students:

1. Mutual Expectations: Working and Living as a Graduate Student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University

Mutual Expectations (PDF)

     This document discusses the roles of: graduate student, advisor, classroom teacher, Ph.D. Committee, administrators,
     Climate Committee, Graduate Honor Council, and Opportunity Development Center (ODC).

2. Guidelines for Reporting and Responding to Reports of Inappropriate Behavior

Procedure for Complaints (PDF)

    This document discusses guidelines for dealing with complaints, on a step-by-step basis.

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Examples of inappropriate behavior

• Consistent pattern of insensitive remarks based on race, gender, national origin, or religion
• Unwelcome sexual advances, sexual harrassment
• Creating a hostile working environment for others
• Provoking conflicts

Contrasting examples of professional and unprofessional behavior

Professional	Unprofessional
Saying to a class or other general group "I didn't think you would  get this."	This is just harder for (insert group name here).
Temporarily shutting yourself off from distractions.	Completely ignoring all comments or suggestions by one person or  group of people.
Arguing over the best method to solve a physics problem.	Starting an argument unrelated to physics or adding personal comments (like calling the other person stupid) into a physics related debate.
Saying that your officemate looks nice in his new shirt.	Saying that your officemate looks nice in his new shirt while fondling the shirt.
Playing touch football.	Playing touch football, but deciding to tackle and tickle the new TA as she walks by.
Faculty, postdocs, and grad students socializing together.	Propositioning someone during a mixed faculty, postdoc, and grad student event.
Collaborating in a group on homework or research.	Consistently ignoring the contributions and suggestions of a member of your group.
Bringing in treats for group meetings.	Assigning the 'treat-getting'/clean-up/note-taking/other menial tasks to the one woman in the group meeting.
Discussing your family	Questioning a female colleague when she plans to have children.

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Suggestions for graduate students on how to behave professionally

• If your adviser sends you an email, answer it promptly.
• Coordinate your time schedule with your adviser.
• If your classmate is giving a talk/PhD defense, go to the talk.
• If your classmate is preparing for a qualifying exam, watch the practice talk and ask lots of questions.
• Attend as many colloquia as possible, and all your group meetings.
• Talk to people outside of your sub-field about their work.

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Web Resources: The Chronicle of Higher Education  

A blog about unwritten rules, norms, and quirks of academia: An Open Letter to New Graduate Students

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Web Resources: searching for and landing your first job

"Landing your first job",   a guide for physics students, American Institute of Physics, ISBN: 0-7354-0080-6
http://aip.org

Searching for physics and engineering jobs, posting your resume:
Physics Today Career Center Network   http://www.physicstoday.org/jobs/

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Web Resources on gender and minority issues

Report from the National Academies:  Beyond Bias and Barriers
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11741.html

CSWA Newsletter (Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy)
http://www.aas.org/cswa/
To subscribe to AASWOMEN: send email to majordomo_at_aas.org, with message in the BODY
subscribe aaswlist yourusername_at_youraddress

Women in Astronomy Database:
http://www.aas.org/cswa/WIAD.html

Women in Physics @ APS:
http://www.aps.org/programs/women/index.cfm

ODC at Vanderbilt:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/odc/
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial
assistance. No person can be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination in any university
program or activity that receives federal funds because of their race, color, or national origin.

The Vanderbilt Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Office
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/glbt/index.html
This Vanderbilt Office serves the entire Vanderbilt community through education, research, programming, counseling and social events.

Women's Center at Vanderbilt:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/WomensCenter/index.htm

Women in Physics @ AIP, Statiscal Research:
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/gendertrends.html
You can have them send the reports to you.

Case studies, literature reviews and many other links geared toward diversity in an academic environment.
http://cirtl.wceruw.org/DiversityResources/