When should I call on an EA/EO Officer for
assistance?
Typically, an EA/EO Officer works with students and employees to help them manage
difficult circumstances they cannot resolve on their own.
Are there
any costs associated with services from an EA/EO Officer?
No. This is a referral and assistance service provided free to all students.
I have a
problem and I don't want anyone to know. Can it be kept a secret?
The EA/EO office attempts to maintain confidentiality.
But absolute and complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. There are instances where the law
requires disclosure. Also, EA/EO Officers are obliged to protect the physical and mental safety of students,
staff and the public, so the threat of violence is considered a justified reason to break confidentiality.
Many cases are complicated and cannot be fully investigated or negotiated without the revelation of names
and identities. EA/EO Officers ask permission to use names in any negotiations. If that permission is not given,
the case may not be pursuable.
Who is eligible to come to the EA/EO
office?
Any student is eligible to ask for our services.
We are not a student advocacy office, but an office that offers neutral assistance to anyone who wishes to
solve a college-related discrimination problem. Our office works with all members of the college community.
I am having a problem with one of my instructors or
SPC colleagues or supervisors. Can you help?
We can help you
understand your problem by talking it over with you. Our most important help to you, however, may well be indirect. We can help you
decide where else to go in the college community to get help.
I think I've been sexually harassed. Can you
help?
This office offers students and employees a safe,
non-threatening environment to talk over any such difficulty, and decide how to proceed.
Can parents call the EA/EO Office?
Yes, but in most cases, unless permission has been granted by the student,
any consultation can only be general. Parents who need to talk with an EA/EO Officer about their child's difficulties are required by
federal law to have the student's direct permission to do so.
How can I make an appointment?
Simply contact the EA/EO office at (727)341-3257 and/or 341-3261.
You also can speak with the Provost or Associate Provost on any campus about sexual harassment issues. If you prefer, you may
write to the Director of EA/EO, P.O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733.
St. Petersburg College is dedicated to the concept of equal
opportunity. The college will not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex, age, national origin, or marital status, or against any
qualified individual with disabilities, in its employment practices or in the
admission and treatment of students. Recognizing that sexual harassment
constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex and violates this rule, the
college will not tolerate such conduct. Should you experience such behavior,
please contact Pamela Smith, the director of EA/EO at (727) 341-3261; by mail at P.O. Box
13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733-3489; or by e-mail at
eaeo_director@spcollege.edu.
