Mistreatment Policy

Definition of Mistreatment

Certain behaviors are clearly antithetical to a productive learning environment and are classified as mistreatment of students. Mistreatment of students includes but is not limited to disclosing confidential student information; public humiliation and other actions that can be reasonably interpreted as demeaning or humiliating; sexual harassment (including unwelcome sexual remarks or jokes); inappropriate comments about student’s dress, ethnicity or sexual orientation; physical aggression (including pushing, shoving, or other intentional inappropriate physical contact) or the threat of physical aggression; unjustified exclusion from reasonable learning opportunities; and other unfair treatment of students. Mistreatment of students can result in disciplinary action of the offender. These policies as outlined follow the CCNY Academic Affairs Integrity Process and are not meant to supersede or supplant CUNY policy.

Policy and Procedure for Reporting Alleged Mistreatment and Unprofessional Behavior

The Office of Student Affairs will track and monitor all reports of alleged mistreatment according to the procedures articulated below:

Contemporaneous allegations of mistreatment/unprofessional behavior

If students encounter mistreatment and/or unprofessional behavior, it will be addressed immediately. Students have both non-anonymous and anonymous mechanisms to report mistreatment/unprofessional behavior.

Non-Anonymous reporting: Students may talk to the course/clerkship director, who will work to resolve the issue. The course or clerkship director will report the issue to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The student always has the option to report directly to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, or the Medical Student Advisors either in person or via email at the address mistreatment@med.cuny.edu. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs will report issues to the appropriate Course Director and the Department Chair. When the issue is resolved, a report will be made to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

Anonymous reporting: Students may report instances of mistreatment via an online reporting system (https://medicine.cuny.edu/mistreatment-reporting/). They will have the option to provide their name, or they may report anonymously. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs monitors and reports issues to the appropriate Course Director and the Department Chair. When the issue is resolved, a report will be made to the Office of Student Affairs.

Course Directors must report allegations of mistreatment/unprofessional behavior to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs as soon as possible, but no more than five working days after the student initially reports the event.

Allegations of mistreatment/unprofessional behavior reported in end-of-experience evaluation

Students are asked explicitly about their experiences of mistreatment and unprofessional behavior in every course, clerkship, and clinical experience evaluation. Reported instances are highlighted and given immediately to the Course/Clerkship director, appropriate personnel at the site of the mistreatment/unprofessional behavior, the Associate Dean for Clinical Medical Education, and the Office of Student Affairs. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs is charged with ensuring the issue is addressed in a timely fashion.

Resolutions of allegations of mistreatment/unprofessional behavior

Those individuals engaging in mistreatment/unprofessional behavior may be disciplined, including removal from teaching responsibilities at the CUNY School of Medicine. Determination of consequences that may arise from mistreatment will be the responsibility of the Course or Clerkship Directors, the Associate Dean for Clinical Medical Education, the Site Directors at clinical sites, and/or the Department Chair. Students who engage in mistreatment/unprofessional behavior will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs and may face disciplinary proceedings through the Student Academic Progress Committee.