#MeToo: SCMC complaints committee holds meeting

PUNE: After film, media and entertainment industry, educational institutions are also witnessing the #MeToo movement. The alumni of Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication (SCMC) took to the Twitter joining the #MeToo campaign sharing their experiences.

Taking congnisance of the incidents posted by alumni on the social media profile of SCMC, Symbiosis University has set up an internal complaints committee (ICC) which conducted its meeting on Wednesday.

“We had convened a high powered committee consisting of Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, deans, registrar and directors on Wednesday. We analysed all discussions which were going on the social media portal. We have also constituted an internal complaints committee by the Symbiosis University as per the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. All names of professors who are accused and students were discussed in the meeting. The reports will be out shortly,” said Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director of Symbiosis Society.

Director of SCMC, Anupam Siddartha gave a presentation to the complaints committee. He said, “I look it into three parts, one in which students have accused their batchmates and seniors. Here, I feel the need to sensitise students. We already conduct sensitisation programmes with students. However, they need to be intensified.”

“Second, they have called out two teachers. I have submitted a required communication regarding the two professors. The third point was, if any student faces harassment during the internship, the student should approach the internal complaints committee of that organisation where she is interning and our college internal complaints committee should help them. If at all, they don’t respond then, we should pull the student out from the organisation and avoid further interaction there,” added Siddartha.

The alumni have given a list of names of the accused which includes teaching faculties along with those visiting faculties in the institution, senior students and fellow batchmates.

joint statement from the students of batch 2011, stated, “We have been closely following the conversations going on in social media and the stories emerging from the #MeToo movement. Among the incidents being reported are specific instances that have either happened in our institution and/or within the campuses that have gone unreported for far too long. While our batch has not contributed to this conversation publicly till now, we have been discussing these events in our own group - and yes, there have been specific instances and behaviour that need to be brought into focus. Some of the people involved in these incidents are still involved with the institution and there is no time like the present to put forth these concerns.”