Resources
A list of resources and policies for the CFA community.
Resources
More specific academic resources are available on the Harvard Astronomy Department Website. Also Graduate student Diversity Resources - available from the GSAS, through the Office of Diversity and Minority Affairs (ODMA)
The presentation about Inclusive Meetings presented by Karin Ó¦berg & Floor Broekgaarden is available online.
Visas:
Immigration resources.
Harvard
Harvard International Office
HIO provides information on a wide range of topics, including immigration issues (work permits, travel), financial questions, social and cultural differences, and resources at Harvard and in the community.
Open to all Harvard roles.
Smithsonian
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/hr/handbook/visas.html
Visas are obtained through the Human Resources Department upon request from Division Administrators for employees and visiting scientists. Travel outside of the United States for someone here on a visa should be discussed and planned for well in advance of the travel dates so that all required documentation can be completed.
Mental Health:
Harvard
Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is a counseling and mental health support service which seeks to work collaboratively with students and the University to support individuals who are experiencing some measure of distress in their lives.
Open to all Harvard students.
Whether it’s just a rough patch or something more serious, the EAP offers the support you need. Many problems can be resolved through short-term counseling. Otherwise, you and your counselor together can find the additional resources to address your particular concern.
Open to all postdocs and staff.
Smithsonian
Smithsonian Employee Assistance
EAP Main Line: 202-633-1051
Available to all staff as well as interns. If you have a problem or a difficult situation affecting your work, we are here to listen, advise and refer you to services or resources which may help. Help may be only a phone call away.
Typical concerns we can assist you with include:
Personal, emotional
Family and marital
Reasonable accommodations
Workplace relationships
Stress and change issues
Substance and alcohol problems
Inova - www.inova.org/eap
Effective July 2020, the Smithsonian Institution began partnering with Inova Employee Assistance (EAP). The enhancement does not replace our existing Smithsonian Institution EAP and Work Life programs that are offered, rather we have added additional services such as:
Short term counseling available 24/7
Access to work life services online once you log in (e.g. consultation and services foreldercare, day care, back up care, lactation support, pet care, legal and financial counselingservice)
Life coaching
Online Mindfulness sessions and stress reduction programs
Other resources (open advice for Harvard and SAO):
https://hr.harvard.edu/mental-and-emotional-wellbeing-during-covid-19-pandemic
https://postdoc.harvard.edu/stress-anxiety-reduction?admin_panel=1
Resources in Massachusetts (includes Mental Health Resources, Addiction Treatment and Recovery Resources, Resources for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services)
Ombudsperson:
An official appointed to investigate individuals' complaints against maladministration.
Harvard
https://ombudsman.harvard.edu/
The University Ombudsman Office is an independent, neutral and confidential place for visitors to discuss their academic and workplace issues and concerns. Our office is informal, assures confidentiality, and is independent of University administration. The office is open to all members of the Harvard community, welcoming over 400 visitors each year.
Open to all Harvard roles.
Smithsonian
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/hr/handbook/ombuds.html
The Ombudsperson is a neutral party to whom employees can bring any work-related problem, concern, or complaint that cannot be resolved through normal channels. The Ombudsperson will respect confidentiality when requested, will listen to the problem, and will discuss steps to take to help you reach a fair resolution.
Sexual and Gender-Based Dispute Resolution:
Harvard
At-a-glance Interim Policy (updated February 2021)
Title IX Information: Your Title IX Coordinator will vary based on official positions but likely will fall under the “Staff” section on this list.
Sexual & Gender-Based Harassment Policy/Resources - The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the FAS community is, on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any University program or activity.
Smithsonian
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/hr/handbook/WPHarassPolicy_Stmt_093018.pdf
Prevention of Workplace Harassment
The Smithsonian Prevention of Workplace Harassment Policy Statement includes information explaining how individuals should pursue complaints of harassment. This statement is available here:
http://prism2.si.edu/SIOrganization/OEEMA/Documents/WPHarassPolicy_A.pdf.
If an individual is not comfortable addressing harassment directly and reporting the behavior to a supervisor or manager, she or he is encouraged to contact an EEO Counselor at SAO or at SI OEEMA, a counselor at the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or an SAO or SI Ombusdman.
Fellowship Offices :
Harvard
Our mission is to help postdocs to reach their career and professional development goals, to work with the FAS Postdoctoral Association to build our postdoctoral community, and to serve as a resource to campus constituents on postdoc life and work.
Smithsonian
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/do/fellowship.html
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Fellowship Program at the Center for Astrophysics provides administrative support to all SAO fellows.
Accessibility :
Harvard
University Disability Resources
Harvard University Disability Resources (UDR) welcomes students, faculty, staff and visitors with disabilities. UDR provides leadership to University efforts to ensure an accessible, welcoming working and learning environment for individuals with disabilities while ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.
Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) supports the Harvard community in making sure that everyone has the opportunity to access the university’s knowledge, ideas, and resources.
The Accessible Education Office (AEO) determines accommodations for students with disabilities and ensures legal compliance with non-discrimination for students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990, and Amendments Act of 2008).
Smithsonian
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/hr/handbook/reasacc.html
Qualified employees and applicants with disabilities are protected from employment discrimination on the basis of disability by Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. This law requires the Smithsonian Institution to provide reasonable accommodation for the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees and applicants with disabilities, unless to do so would cause undue hardship -- that is, it would require significant difficulty or expense.
202-633-6430 (Voice)
Assistance with reasonable accommodations matters; goverc@si.edu
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)
703-614-8416 (Voice)
571-384-5629 (Videophone)
Through an agreement with the Smithsonian Institution, the Department of Defense's Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program provides a wide variety of assistive technology devices and services for people with disabilities. Frequently requested accommodation solutions include videophones, captioning for training videos, print enlargers, screen readers, alternative keyboards, pointing devices, and speech recognition software. These accommodations are provided at no cost to the Smithsonian.
Harassment and Discrimination:
Harvard
Harvard College Office of Diversity Education & Support
Undergrads: Harvard College provides assistance to students regarding harassment, discrimination, and bias-related incidents. Our goal is to educate the Harvard College community about these issues and promote an environment free from harassment and discrimination.
GSAS Discrimination and Harassment
Graduate Students: GSAS is committed to fostering an environment free from racial harassment, defined as actions on the part of an individual or group that demean or abuse another individual or group because of racial or ethnic background. Such actions may include but are not restricted to using racial epithets, making racially derogatory remarks, and using racial stereotypes.
Harvard Discrimination Policy and Review Procedure
Employees: Human Resources
Smithsonian
https://sinet.sharepoint.com/sites/PRISM2/SIOrganization/OEEMA/Documents/WPHarassPolicy_A.pdf
(Secretary Lonnie Bunch's statement on harassment)
Anti-Harassment Hotline: (202) 633-6620
https://sinet.sharepoint.com/sites/PRISM2/SIOrganization/oeema/Pages/EEOCP.aspx
Any employee, applicant seeking employment or affiliated staff who has concerns about discrimination and harassment or believes that they may have been discriminated against because of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), religion, national origin, age, disability, protected genetic information, and/or reprisal for protected EEO activity may seek assistance in addressing their concerns or filing an informal complaint of discrimination by contacting an EEO counselor in the Office of Equal Employment and Supplier Diversity (OEESD). Individuals have forty-five (45) calendar days following the alleged discriminatory action or, if the matter concerns a personnel action, from the effective date of the action to contact an EEO counselor.
Anonymous Reporting Hotline:
Harvard
Anonymous Reporting Hotline
https://reportinghotline.harvard.edu/
This hotline may be used to report a variety of ethical, integrity, safety, security, and compliance concerns and may be used by anyone including, but not limited to, students, faculty, postdocs, staff, patients, vendors, contractors and visitors, anywhere in the world.
The Anonymous Reporting Hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is run by an independent, third-party provider. There are two ways to report: toll-free by calling 877- 694-2275 or you can submit a report online.
Members of the Harvard community are encouraged to report suspected violations of law or University policy to their supervisor, to a local tub finance officer, to a local or central human resources officer, or to the Anonymous Reporting Hotline (877.694.2275). The University will protect from retaliation members of the Harvard community who make good faith reports of suspected violations of law or University policy.
Smithsonian
Unions:
Harvard
Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers - HUCTW is approximately 5,300 Harvard employees of diverse backgrounds, ages, talents, and opinions. Our work supports the teaching and research at Harvard, in libraries and museums, in labs, in offices, and out in the world.
The Harvard Graduate Student Union (HGSU) has several resources available regarding workplace violations. Students are encouraged to voice any concerns or questions they may have to our department stewards (Boryana Hadzhiyska & Daniel Palumbo) or the grievance committee either by filling out this anonymous workplace issue form or directly emailing hgsu.grievance@protonmail.com. Note that filling out this form is not equivalent to filing a grievance! Concerns can be related to a number of matters (regardless of the severity), including but not limited to workload stress, compensation issues, discrimination on any basis, unwelcome behavior, intimidation, retaliation, and bullying.
Diversity Offices:
Harvard
FAS Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
New office opened fall of 2021. Programming is forthcoming.
SEAS Office of Diversity Inclusion, and Belonging
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) provides strategic leadership, partnership, and programs to advance our DIB goals and support students, staff, faculty, and researchers from diverse backgrounds. We oversee the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of the SEAS Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Strategic Plan.
Civil Behavior in the Workplace:
Harvard
Professional Conduct
Incivility is rarely reported and is often uncorrected. In addition to Title IX issues, Moriah Silver (staff and faculty) and Seth Avakian (students and faculty) are the coordinators for issues related to incivility as it relates to Professional Conduct.
https://titleix.harvard.edu/options
Smithsonian
SI Civil
The SI Civil Program is a team of Smithsonian experts and specialists with responsibility over these policies: Workplace Violence Prevention Policy and Anti-Harassment Policy. SI Civil was developed as a resource that employees and affiliated persons may use to report threats of violence, incidents of intimidation, or harassment, and get information about appropriate next steps. The goal of this program is to empower employees and affiliated persons to communicate workplace concerns and facilitate the resolution of those concerns as quickly as possible.
https://sinet.sharepoint.com/sites/PRISM2/ohr/SICivil/Pages/About.aspx