A survey conducted by the Provost’s Office in response to faculty concerns has revealed important insights into faculty experiences with threats and harassment based on their academic work, prompting a rollout of new and updated resources.
The survey, completed in spring 2024 with results analyzed during the fall 2024 semester, included responses from 2,562 faculty members and post-doctoral fellows across the Ann Arbor campus and Michigan Medicine, representing a 22.5% response rate.
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The survey was undertaken to address rising faculty concerns about being targeted by individuals or groups external to the university. While a large majority of respondents reported never experiencing threats or harassment from external sources related to their scholarship, hundreds of incidents were recorded across various communication channels, from social media to in-person confrontations.
“It is essential that we protect faculty’s freedom to research, speak, challenge conventional thinking, and engage in open dialogue without fear for their well-being and safety,” said Provost Laurie McCauley. “Faculty naturally face criticism — that comes with the academic territory. But criticism is not the same as behavior intended to intimidate or obstruct teaching and research.
“We are committed to listening to our faculty and connecting them with the right resources to combat threats and harassment.” McCauley made a similar statement in February 2024 as part of the university’s renewed focus on supporting faculty affected by threats and harassment.
Faculty who experienced threats and harassment reported notable impacts on their mental and physical health, their sleep quality, and their ability and willingness to engage in public scholarship. They reported taking steps ranging from curtailing social media activity to considering leaving U-M or academia altogether.
The majority of respondents shared that they never reported their experiences to the university or to the police. They were somewhat more likely to share the experience with a work colleague. About half of these respondents reported that they never feared for their own safety (or that of their family, friends, students and colleagues) because of their experiences, and the other half reported feeling fearful at least some of the time.
The most common reasons for not reporting incidents were skepticism that action would be taken and thinking that the incidents were not serious enough to report.
“Most surveyed faculty had little awareness of the existing resources we have on campus,” said Christopher Friese, Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing and professor of nursing in the School of Nursing; professor of health management and policy in the School of Public Health; and vice provost for academic and faculty affairs.
“Most did not know about existing web content that addresses these issues. The working group felt it was essential that faculty are aware that a single, updated resource hub is available with points of contact and best practices.”
The new hub for faculty experiencing threats and harassment can be found on the Office of the Provost website. The site includes points of contact for institutional support and reporting, media tips and links to additional resources generated by external experts.
Faculty experiencing threats and/or harassment can report non-emergent incidents through a single channel, [email protected], which is monitored on a regular basis by the Provost’s Office and Academic Human Resources. Any community member concerned about their immediate safety should call the Division of Public Safety and Security.
“We know that these kinds of concerns are very challenging,” said Sara Blair, vice provost for academic and faculty affairs & arts and humanities. “By providing a single point of contact, we aim to connect faculty more easily to the people and resources appropriate to their situation.”
The Office of the Provost also hosted a workshop for campus leaders March 10 as part of the university community’s response to the survey. The workshop brought together experts from multiple university offices, including the Equity, Civil Rights & Title IX Office, the Office of the General Counsel, Academic Human Resources, and the Office of the Vice President for Communications – Public Affairs and introduced the revised website resources.
The Provost’s Office plans to continue implementing additional recommendations in collaboration with appropriate university partners.
