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<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">To the members of the graduate women’s community,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Emerging details of MIT’s close ties to Jeffrey Epstein have left our community shocked and seeking action. It is clear that MIT has work to do in altering processes for how funding to the University is
vetted, and creating transparency such that stakeholders--students, faculty, staff, and administrators--can voice concerns about whose contributions are legitimized.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">The episode also reveals deeper deficiencies in MIT’s culture, wherein a critical mass of people considered Epstein’s engagement with MIT non-objectionable enough for it to have been welcomed and rewarded.
It reveals an environment in which the concerns of women, survivors of sexual assault, minority groups, and allies are considered perhaps important enough to mask the source of contributions, but not to concretely change actions. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black;background:white">While MIT has outlined a
</span><a href="http://news.mit.edu/2019/remarks-president-reif-institute-faculty-meeting-0918"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#1155CC;background:white">series of steps</span></a><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black;background:white">
it is taking towards improving its funding processes, the campus culture that allowed these events to take place is a more amorphous issue and therefore harder to change. As a student organization ourselves, we understand that cultural change must start from
our everyday interactions within our own academic, social, and personal spheres.</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"> Below we outline a concrete set of resources that we hope you will use to initiate conversation in the spaces you
occupy, including labs, dorms, student groups, and departments. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Background: </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<a href="http://news.mit.edu/2019/letter-preliminary-facts-0912"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#1155CC">Preliminary fact-finding at MIT</span></a><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"> (12 Sept 2019)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<a href="http://news.mit.edu/2019/remarks-president-reif-institute-faculty-meeting-0918"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#1155CC">President Reif’s remarks at a faculty meeting</span></a><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#333333">
</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">outlining steps being taken by the university to alter its processes around funding (18 Sept 2019) </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">The following are steps you can take as individuals and organizations to voice your concerns and begin to alter culture within your spheres: </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Sign the powerful
<a href="https://concernedatmit.weebly.com/?fbclid=IwAR2n3HLHRSScS-o0qumaJN0Ei5QEnY3959GZKKDvWJJqXBGZ03ICGEAItVI">
<span style="color:#1155CC">letter written by MIT’s senior women faculty</span></a> to President Rafael Reif. In it they articulate disappointment, anger, and the start of steps forward.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Attend the
</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#212121;background:white">MIT & Epstein Student Forum organized by the Graduate Student Council today, October 1st @ 7 PM in 10-250.</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Organize or attend a training on violence prevention, bystander intervention, or consent for your lab/dorm/fraternity/sorority/student group/department: e.g. through
<a href="https://studentlife.mit.edu/vpr"><span style="color:#1155CC">VPR</span></a> or
<a href="https://officesdirectory.mit.edu/care-team-coordination-assistance-response-and-education">
<span style="color:#1155CC">CARE</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><a href="http://news.mit.edu/2019/change-makers-honored-for-work-fighting-sexual-misconduct-0422"><span style="color:#1155CC">Celebrate and emulate departments</span></a> that
have begun the work of positive culture change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">Know also that a number of resources are available to members of the MIT community seeking to manage concerns related to culture: </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><a href="https://studentlife.mit.edu/vpr"><span style="color:#1155CC">Violence Prevention & Response</span></a><span style="background:white"> is MIT’s primary on-campus resource
for preventing and responding to interpersonal violence including sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment. They operate a 24-hour hotline, in addition to offering other support and resources.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">The
<a href="https://ombudsoffice.mit.edu/"><span style="color:#1155CC">Ombuds office at MIT</span></a> is a confidential and independent resource for all members of the MIT community, including students, faculty, employees, and alumni to constructively manage
concerns and conflicts related to their experience at MIT.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><a href="https://gsc.mit.edu/committees/hca/irefs/"><span style="color:#1155CC">MIT REFS</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#333333;background:white">
are trained graduate students who provide confidential, peer-to-peer support for all graduate students at the Institute. They also point students to other resources on campus.</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">The
<a href="https://studentlife.mit.edu/impact-opportunities/diversity-inclusion/womenmit/margaret-cheney-room">
<span style="color:#1155CC">Margaret Cheney Room</span></a> offers a safe space for
<span style="background:white">all students at MIT who experience gender-based systems of oppression. This includes (but is not limited to) self-identified women, transgender women, and non-binary individuals.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;vertical-align:baseline">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black;background:white">The
</span><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black"><a href="http://titleix.mit.edu/"><span style="color:#1155CC;background:white">Title IX & Bias Response Office at MIT</span></a><span style="background:white"> is the go-to resource for individuals
seeking to report incidents of sexual harassment, violence and gender-based discrimination.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">We are energized by the advocacy of students, faculty, and administration towards accountability and change. We want to reiterate our solidarity with the graduate women’s community and offer ourselves as
a resource to facilitate connections and conversations across campus. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">In solidarity,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph">
<span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black">The Executive Board of Graduate Women at MIT</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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