Advocacy

The Department of English values diversity and aims to maintain a welcoming environment. If you feel you have experienced bias or have a concern about how to better promote inclusion, please contact the Chair or Diversity Officer.  

• Robyn Warhol (.1), Chair, 614-292-6065

• Ryan Friedman (.193), Diversity Officer, 614-292-6328

You can also report through the Office of Institutional Equity's website. On the left-hand side of their homepage are links to:

• Report harassment or discrimination
• Report sexual misconduct
• File an anonymous concern through Ethicspoint

The Chair and Diversity Officer hear and respond to questions or complaints about discrimination and harassment based on race, class, gender, ethnicity, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, gender expression, religious belief, or veteran status. You can share student-teacher concerns, conflicts with a colleague, or diversity matters that impact the department.  

The Chair and Diversity Chair can assist you in answering questions, connecting you with resources in the department and across campus, or serving as a third-party in mediating potential conflicts. Your discussions with the Chair or Vice Chair remain confidential whenever possible. 

Call 911 immediately. You may later notify the Chair or Vice Chair of your concerns and response. 

For more information about the University’s policies and how complaints are handled by the Office of Human Resources, see the following:  

Non-Discrimination Policies [pdf] 

Sexual Harassment Frequently Asked Questions [pdf]

Scott Burlingame (.18), ASC Employee and Labor Relations Senior Representative, 614-247-7163 

The Office of University Compliance and Integrity 

For issues involving undergraduate students, go to the Director of Undergraduate Studies Karen Winstead (.2)  

For issues involving graduate students, go to the Director of Grad Studies Aman Garcha (.2) 

For issues involving discrimination, harassment or hostile workplace issues, go to the Diversity Officer Ryan Friedman (.193)

For issues involving faculty members, go to the Chair Robyn Warhol (.1)

The ADA Coordinator's office offers a number of resources for faculty, staff and student employees. (For additional student resources, please see SLDS.) This resource website has information on: requesting sign language interpretation and transcription; requesting workplace accommodations; accessible parking; paratransit; and assistance animals, as well as other resources and links to other, related OSU departments.

Disability Services (SLDS) provides accommodations for all students. Their website includes, among other things:

• Information on how to register, if you've never registered with Disability Services before
• Resources for students who are already registered, including information on virtual learning
• Resources for instructors who need to implement accommodations or have other questions. This includes the recommended syllabus statement from Disability Services. NOTE: This statement has been updated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The SLDS Beyond Compliance Toolkit
• SLDS is implementing a number of operational changes due to COVID-19, including adjusted hours, adjusted operations for accommodated exams, etc.

For information on live captioning for online events, and the requirements if you are hosting an online event, visit ASCTech's website.

• SLDS has a designated page for student veterans, including an access specialist for student veterans, Kelly Bonice (.3).
• The university has a site for Military and Veterans Services, which includes resources for students, faculty and staff.

The Center for Belonging and Social Change has a number of initiatives to support LGBTQIA+ students and populations. They also have several PDF resources linked on the right-hand side of their initiatives webpage, including, but not limited to:

• Information on how to declare a gender designation change
• Information on legally changing your name at Ohio State, and in the state of Ohio
• Ohio State's preferred name policy

Additionally, LGBTQ at Ohio State offers a wealth of resources on their website, including information on gender-inclusive housing and restrooms.

Ohio State offers a number of lactation rooms on campus. Human Resources offers a list of lactation rooms on the Columbus campus, at the Wexner Medical Center, and on regional campuses. The list includes information on how to access each space.

The Student Advocacy Center is committed to helping students navigate Ohio State's structure and to resolving issues that they encounter at the university. The Advocacy Center can offer assistance on a number of fronts, including but not limited to:

• Petitions to withdraw from a class after the normal drop deadline due to extenuating circumstances
• Petitions for reinstatement
• COAM appeals

Visit Student Advocacy's website for a fuller list of ways that Student Advocacy can help you and your students.

For information on Flexible Work Arrangements, visit the OSU Human Resources Flexible Work site.

The Graduate Association of Mental Health Action and Advocacy (GAMHAA) has partnered with M+A Architects, the Department of English, and the Disability Studies Program, to create a Quiet Room in 507 Denney Hall. The Quiet Room is a multipurpose space meant to offer privacy, respite, relaxation, stress relief, destimulation and silence. The space is equipped with private partitioned spaces, stim items, a happy light (sun lamp), salt lamp, Buddha Board, light reading materials, ear plugs, coloring books and pencils, a weighted blanket and resting spaces.

The room is available to anyone and everyone, but is especially designed toward students, staff and associated faculty on campus who lack private, quiet spaces on campus.

For more information, visit the Quiet Room page of GAMHAA's website.

The Title IX office provides information on reporting incidents of sexual misconduct, including:

• What to expect when filing a report.
• Sexual misconduct reporting form
• Reporting resources brochure [pdf]

​​​​​​The Title IX office's site offers a number of options for confidential support resources. These include:

• The SARNCO 24-hour Crisis Helpline: 614-267-7020 
• The Ohio Sexual Violence Helpline: 844-OHIO-HELP 
  • Available 24 hours
• SARNCO on-campus advocates provide confidential support for survivors of sexual violence, including students, faculty, staff and visitors of OSU's Columbus Campus: 614-688-2518
• SARNCO Aftercare Advocacy, for survivors whose needs go beyond advocacy received in the emergency room or on the helpline: 614-788-4739
• Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO): 866-86-BRAVO or 614-294-7867
  • Available weekdays 9am-5pm, and Thursday through Sunday 6pm -10pm
• LSS CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence 24 hour hotline: 614-244-HOME (4663)

The confidential support resources page also offers a number of confidential counseling options for students and employees.

• The Title IX office's website offers guidelines for supporting a survivor.
• They also offer a PDF reference guide for faculty and staff to assist survivors who report sexual misconduct [pdf]

A number of required trainings are available through BuckeyeLearn:

• "Report = Support!" is the required annual training for all employees, including student employees. You will complete this when you start your position, and repeat it every year.
• "Understanding the Sexual Misconduct Policy" is the training required for all new employees, including student employees.
• "U Got This!" is the required annual training for all students enrolled in classes, both undergraduate and graduate.
• For more information on these trainings, visit the Training page of the Title IX office's website.

The university offers a number of sample syllabus statements, including one for "Creating an environment free from harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct." To see this statement, go to the Office of Undergraduate Education's Faculty and Staff Resources page and scroll to the sections at the bottom of the page. The text is also copied below:

"The Ohio State University is committed to building and maintaining a community to reflect diversity and to improve opportunities for all. All Buckeyes have the right to be free from harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct. Ohio State does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status, or any other bases under the law, in its activities, academic programs, admission, and employment. Members of the university community also have the right to be free from all forms of sexual misconduct: sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.

To report harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, or retaliation and/or seek confidential and non-confidential resources and supportive measures, contact the Office of Institutional Equity:

1. Online reporting form at equity.osu.edu,
2. Call 614-247-5838 or TTY 614-688-8605,
3. Or Email equity@osu.edu

The university is committed to stopping sexual misconduct, preventing its recurrence, eliminating any hostile environment, and remedying its discriminatory effects. All university employees have reporting responsibilities to the Office of Institutional Equity to ensure the university can take appropriate action:

• All university employees, except those exempted by legal privilege of confidentiality or expressly identified as a confidential reporter, have an obligation to report incidents of sexual assault immediately.
• The following employees have an obligation to report all other forms of sexual misconduct as soon as practicable but at most within five workdays of becoming aware of such information: 1. Any human resource professional (HRP); 2. Anyone who supervises faculty, staff, students, or volunteers; 3. Chair/director; and 4. Faculty member."

No Hate @ Ohio State: Anti-Hate Resources and Action Network

Kirwan Institute Implicit Bias Training (Series of online modules)

Resources for Off-Campus and Commuter Students