University of Pittsburgh Library System

: Policies governing sexual harassment on college campuses are a recurring topic of national attention and concern. The #MeToo movement led to public discussion and critique of policies and procedures for handling sexual harassment at institutions of higher education, which led to action in several cases. The University of Pittsburgh became the site of one investigation after a blog post was released critiquing the university’s handling of faculty sexual harassment claims. My research explores the rhetoric and evolution of sexual harassment policy and procedure at the University of Pittsburgh through analysis of the cultural contexts surrounding sexual harassment policy changes. I have been able to explore cultural contexts through both paper archival records and web archives. Through paper archival records, I have had the chance to look at administrative files from relevant offices, internal correspondences between faculty, staff, and those affiliated with the university, and external correspondences with the university community and general public. Through web archives, I have been able to look at relevant news stories and track public discussion of issues concerning sexual harassment, the University of Pittsburgh, policy and procedural change, and the intersection of those conversations.