Ninth Level Ireland

“It’s a sad truth in the science world that hierarchical structures have permitted harassment to thrive. Inherent power imbalances between supervisor and PhD student or between professor and postdoc make an informal challenge to inappropriate behaviour terrifying. And it can feel career-threatening to the victim, since one’s research outputs and letters of reference are likely to be damaged …” (more)

[Athene Donald, Guardian, 27 July]

“An order staying an investigation into complaints of bullying and harassment made by a member of staff at NUI Galway against another staff member has been lifted by the Court of Appeal. In 2014, the complainant alleged bullying and harassment against nine members of NUIG staff …” (more)

[Irish Times, 21 March]

“The ever-growing list of prominent men accused of abuse of power, sexual harassment, assault and rape over the last number of weeks has proven that it is not an isolated or Hollywood-specific problem …” (more)

[University Times, 12 November]

“Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes, Geoff Marcy. From entertainment to academia, accusations of these people’s abuses of power have helped to create a sea change in the numbers of people willing to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace. Much of the conversation has concerned condemnation of harassers and praise for those who come forward to talk about what they have seen and experienced. This puts an interpersonal frame on a systemic problem. Attention must also be paid to systems that allow harassers to thrive …” (more)

[Laurel Issen, Nature, 1 November]

“Female students are more likely to experience sexual harassment as they progress through college, according to a survey. The Smart Consent Survey of approximately 400 students, conducted by PhD candidate Chiara Seery of NUI Galway, indicated that female students’ experiences of sexist hostility, sexual hostility, unwanted sexual attention, online sexual harassment, and sexual coercion increased each year as they passed from first year to third year …” (more)

[Noel Baker, Irish Examiner, 1 November]

“Five sexual assaults were reported to UCD campus security between 2014 and 2016. Eleven students have also reported instances of harassment to campus services since 2014. An internal campus services report into student’s personal safety on campus, obtained by the Tribune, show a marked rise in reports of sexual assault and harassment on campus …” (more)

[College Tribune, 28 March]

“A long-awaited report investigating sexual violence and harassment in UK universities has been criticised for failing fully to address the problem. An inquiry was begun last year due to growing alarm about harassment, sexual violence and hate crime on university campuses, and concerns about the way in which some institutions deal with the problem …” (more)

[Sally Weale and David Batty, Guardian, 21 October]

“Universities’ use of non-disclosure agreements (NDA) in sexual harassment cases involving staff and students is allowing alleged perpetrators to move to other institutions where they could offend again, according to academics, lawyers and campaigners …” (more)

[Sally Weale and David Batty, Guardian, 26 August]

“UCD 200 scandal may be a hoax but sexual harassment in endemic on campuses. The unfortunate fact is we live in a world in which people assume feminism has reigned victorious and is programmed into modern society …” (more)

[Anna Joyce, Irish Times, 26 May]

“University College Dublin will introduce mandatory sexual consent classes – as officials try to track down students who reportedly shared intimate images of female students …” (more)

[Martin Grant, Independent, 10 February]

“A female University College Dublin (UCD) student has hit out at ‘the poison that is lad culture’ after it emerged last week that 200 male UCD students were involved in sharing sexual images of female students online …” (more)

[David Maher, Irish Mirror Online, 9 February]

“On Friday, the news broke about a suspected revenge porn group chat in UCD. The group supposedly contained over 200 male students sharing images and ratings of girls they had been sexually involved with …” (more)

[Cassie Delaney, Her.ie, 8 February]

“An investigation is under way at University College Dublin following reports that male students allegedly shared explicit images of women they had sexual relations with … ” (more)

[Aine McMahon, Irish Times, 5 February]

“University College Dublin is investigating reports that a group of male students are sharing intimate images and information about female students online …” (more)

[Laura Larkin, Independent, 5 February]

“Foreword I am delighted to introduce this survey of academic staff on working conditions at DCU carried out by the SIPTU Section Committee. As DCU moves towards the ‘incorporation’ of St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Mater Dei Institute of Education and the Church of Ireland College of Education it is vital that the union benchmarks staff conditions as change (not always positive) will be the order of the day …” (more, download)

“A judge has said he ‘signally failed’ in his efforts to stop a autistic medical school dropout from sending harassing letters to the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) …” (more)

[Conor Gallagher, Independent, 13 November]

“Two employees of the University have been offered nearly €60,000 each to leave their jobs after they highlighted serious concerns to alleged financial mismanagement. We spoke to Limerick Leader editor, Alan English …” (mp3)

[RTÉ Drivetime, 11 September]

“A Cork medical school dropout who sent threatening letters to ten of his past supervisors and tutors at the Royal College of Surgeons has been given a three year suspended sentence …” (more)

[Independent, 25 February]

“Questions have been raised over whether allowing comments on blogs and other sites is conducive to wider understanding of science. Jonathan Mendel and Hauke Riesch present a look at how online comments, even uncivil ones, can positively benefit community cohesion and inclusive engagement …” (more)

[Impact of Social Sciences, 21 November]

“Round about now, in universities across many parts of the world, young people are beginning their university courses and experiencing the higher education environment for the first time …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 15 September]