Miriam COLLEGE holds Community-wide Meetings to strengthen safe spaces
FOLLOWING its creation of an independent committee to look into complaints of sexual harassment in its high school, Miriam College (MC) held a series of town hall meetings (THMS) with its community in July to get more feedback and, formulate concrete programs and policies that would ensure safe spaces at every campus level.
MC students and alumni shared stories and experiences of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by some faculty on social media last June.
Miriam College responded by convening a Committee on Truth and Justice to review and resolve reported cases.
The THMS were then conducted among Miriam College administrators, faculty, alumni, Student Council members from different academic levels, and office employees from both the Quezon City and Nuvali campuses.
Initiated by the school’s Institutional Committee on Ethics and Protocol (ICEP), the THMS allowed community members to openly share and articulate their understanding of safe spaces; identify existing systems, culture, programs and activities in their respective units that either prevented or promoted safe spaces; and propose solutions that would strengthen safe spaces. Special focus was placed on processes that would allow students to report cases of sexual harassment without fear or judgment.
Amb. Laura Quiambao-del Rosario, Miriam College president, said, “Recent developments opened our eyes to the need to listen and seek the truth behind the stories of harassment in our campus. The welfare of our students is paramount to us and the first step in our efforts to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future is to look inward and get the consensus of our community about causes and solutions to the past situation. The town hall meetings were crucial to hear out observations, opinions and recommendations to create and maintain a safe space in our institution moving forward.”
In a letter to the MC community last June, Quiambao-del Rosario said the school will undergo a serious process of self-criticism to redefine more deeply the meaning of justice.
Miriam College High School Assistant Principal for Student Affairs Sofia de Guzman said, “The town hall meetings were very helpful for us to express our ideas, emotions and perceptions on the issues surrounding safe spaces. The suggestions on how MC could do better highlighted transparency and promoted respect and inclusivity. It was not only a necessary exercise but also a clear demonstration of the school’s commitment to undergo a process of selfreflection and redirection.”
The ICEP is now gathering and studying the results of the THMS to serve as basis for new school policies, processes, programs and practices that will be integrated into handbooks and other relevant platforms for students, faculty and employees. The ICEP has been tasked to ensure that the new policies are aligned with the Safe Space Act.
On June 29, the school requested all aggrieved parties to report incidents of sexual harassment to safespaces@mc.edu.ph.
The Truth and Justice Committee, chaired by lawyer and UP College of Law professor, Atty. Ma. Gabriela “Gaby” Concepcion, is now waiting for the complaints to be completed so they can act on the concerns while observing due process.
The independent committee is mandated to recommend sanctions for those found guilty of inappropriate behavior.