The State University of New York at Albany made reporting academic dishonesty an obligation for students and as such staff, faculty, chairs, deans, etc. have no real basis for complaining if a student actually takes that obligation seriously:
"Maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity insures the value and reputation of our degree programs; these standards represent an ethical obligation for faculty intrinsic to their role as educators, as well as a pledge of honor on the part of University at Albany students. If a violation of academic integrity occurs, faculty, deans, and students all share in the responsibility to report it.” (emphasis added)
If you don't want students to report academic dishonesty, don't require them to report it! (The fact that they don't have a form for students to report it certainly doesn't assist reporting it, and it's my understanding that relatively few students do report it. Nevertheless, students have a pledge of honor to report it and share in the responsibility of faculty to report it, and faculty have an ethical obligation to report it.
As for students reporting sexual harassment committed by professors:
“Sexual assault is a broad term that includes forcible touching, stranger assault, acquaintance rape, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation" (emphasis added)
http://www.albany.edu/counseling_center/sexualviolence/sexualassault.shtml
“If a victim makes a report to the campus judicial office - the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility, the Director of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility (518-442-5501) will assist in filing a complaint for possible university disciplinary action against the alleged sex offender."
"Sexual Assault: Reporting Options, Victim's Rights Statement and Prevention Programs" http://www.albany.edu/studentconduct/27173.php
Faculty and staff would appear to have no basis for complaining about sexual harassment being reported to them, or to do nothing to help with respect to any report they receive; they are all supposed to believe such reports and in turn pass on such reports:
“The best thing you can do for the student is to listen to and believe them [...] it is still your obligation to contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Success"
http://www.albany.edu/counseling_center/sexualviolence/how_to_help.shtml
One of my professors said to me something like: "Could you shut the door? Thanks. Now don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want to feel like I have to take sides. I'm not friends with the professor you reported to me, but I'm friendly with him, and I don't want to hear anything more about his academic dishonesty and sexual harassment." Not exactly consistent with university policy or with anything else. Was he afraid of his coworker retaliating against him if it were learned that he'd fulfilled his obligation to report the sexual harassment to the Office of the Vice President for Student Success? If he's afraid of his coworker, doesn't that make it that much important to report him?
Another member of the faculty on campus said something like: "I don't think he's a misogynist, maybe he's just pandering to the worst elements in class in an attempt to be liked." That doesn't exactly make him not a misogynist and regardless: who would want to be liked by people who think sexual harassment is OK, or funny, or in any way positive?
Students that report things the university encourages them to report or even requires them to report should not be retaliated against when they actually do report those things. In practice, how much does mere text stating that retaliation is prohibited mean when it goes on anyway?
"Any threat of retaliation or other attempts to prevent the reporting of sexual misconduct will be prohibited and is subject to disciplinary action. Reports of retaliation should be made to the Director of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility (518-442-5501) and/or the Associate Director of Residential Life/Quad Supervisor (518-442-5875) who will assist in filing a complaint for university disciplinary action.
"Definition: Retaliation is an intentional act taken against an individual who initiates any sexual misconduct complaint, including stalking or intimate partner violence, pursues legal recourse for such a complaint, or participates in any manner in the investigation of such a report. Any act of retaliation is prohibited and is subject to judicial referral." http://www.albany.edu/counseling_center/sexualviolence/report.shtml
What are people supposed to do when the Director of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility denies in writing that reports of retaliation should be made to him, and when the Director of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility engages in retaliation? SOL?
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