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BULLETIN
Proceedings of the HMS Faculty CouncilAt the April 28 meeting of the faculty council, Patricia D'Amore, HMS professor of ophthalmology (pathology) at Schepens Eye Research Institute; David Hackney, HMS professor of radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant dean for faculty development; and Ellice Lieberman, HMS professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Brigham and Women's and faculty cochair of the Joint Committee on the Status of Women, presented current data on the diversity of the HMS faculty as well as recommendations to try to bring greater diversity to the faculty.The statistics showed four points: that medical school faculties are less diverse than medical school classes; faculties of research-oriented schools are less diverse than those of faculties as a whole; the HMS faculty is less diverse than those of other research-oriented schools; and the HMS faculty is much less diverse than the HMS student body. Hackney said that although actual numbers of minority faculty are generally low, the proportion of underrepresented minority (URM) faculty appointments has increased over time, but still represents a very small percentage of total faculty. The numbers also translate into few role models on the faculty for URM students and trainees as well as the perception that there are few career opportunities here for URMs. Likewise, there is relatively little opportunity for mentoring by faculty of similar racial backgrounds. These realities harm recruitment and retention of URM faculty. A goal for the School is retention of URM trainees and junior faculty (house staff and instructors) so that this group will ultimately mirror the diversity of the medical student classes. HMS dean Joseph Martin said that the School needs to work with HMS department chairs and the hospitals to make faculty diversity an issue of higher priority, advocating for the Medical School and the hospitals joining forces to attract the funds and resources necessary to recruit and retain minority faculty. Sexual Harassment PolicyLinda Wilcox, HMS ombudsperson, recommended a revision to the current Faculty of Medicine policy on discrimination and sexual harassment. This was necessitated by recommended changes in the wording of the University's harassment policy, combined with recent incidents involving third-party complaints in the HMS community. More specifically, the recommended addendum deals with relationships in which one party is in a position to review the work or influence the career of others when the relationship is perceived to give undue access or advantage, restrict opportunities, or create an appearance of unfairness. The new language suggests that by altering the reporting relationship, the possibility of unfairness to others can be removed.Biodefense ResearchS. James Adelstein, chair of the provost's Advisory Committee on Biodefense Research and Regulations, and Andrew Braun, director for biological safety at HMS and a member of the Committee on Microbiological Safety, outlined the recommendations of the provost's Advisory Committee on Biodefense. In August 2002, the committee was charged with developing a policy and a process to deal with so-called "select agents" and the restrictions placed on research of these agents that arose from federal legislation, including the Patriot Act of 2001 and the Bioterrorism Act of 2002.Three major issues were studied: restrictions on the dissemination of research results considered sensitive; securing sites where select agents are used; and restrictions on those researching select agents. Adelstein, the Paul C. Cabot distinguished professor of medical biophysics in the Department of Pathology at HMS, told the council that current law prohibits prisoners, controlled-substance abusers, those who have been committed to mental health institutions, and alien nationals from specific countries associated with terrorism from carrying out biodefense research with select agents. Since these constraints are counter to the values of open universities, the committee was asked to develop policies that balance the University's educational and scholarly mission with the needs of national security. The committee recommended that faculty and others associated with research involving select agents should be informed in advance of the constraints and restrictions to academic freedom associated with such research as well as the need to obtain clearance from the federal government. Likewise, it was recommended that graduate students and postdoctoral fellows not participate in such research ordinarily because of possible constraints on publication and potential isolation from other parts of the community. If such individuals do elect to participate, their involvement should be reviewed case by case. Another recommendation was that "restricted laboratories" be in a location that meets security needs without interfering with the normal business of the School. With respect to constraints on publication, the University has never permitted prior restraint on publication, although delays of up to 30 or 60 days have been allowed in cases involving intellectual property. Proposed biodefense research will not involve restraint on publication. Raphael Dolin, dean for academic and clinical programs, who also served on the provost's committee, reported that the committee attempted to strike a balance between concerns for academic freedom and the recognition of the risk of use of select agents as bioterrorist weapons. He stressed the importance of research on select agents in order to develop the means to control risks associated with a bioterrorist act and also to develop countermeasures. Discussion of this topic at the Faculty Council was intended to advise the dean regarding the faculty's concerns on these issues. No vote was taken. |
