The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: News

SHI

In the basement of Peabody Hall on North Campus, there sits a man who, for the last 28 years, has called himself the University's "Unknown Soldier in the war on ignorance."

"When I win, nobody hears about it," he said.

When outgoing Equal Opportunity Office Director Len Davis assumes full retirement in May, a new director will come to the frontlines - and that won't be the only change.

The University officially announced J. Stephen Shi as Davis' replacement Tuesday.

Shi takes command of the office as it prepares to assume a new function: investigating sexual harassment complaints.

The office, staffed by four employees, promulgates and disseminates policies related to protected classes of individuals, Davis said. He said the job includes administering policies such as affirmative action.

Sexual harassment investigations have never been the office's responsibility, he said.

Shi said he is in the process of meeting with several officials to get a sense of his duties and what new responsibilities the office will need to undertake.

"As I understand it, this has been conceptual up to this point," he said. "I think obviously we're going to need to put flesh on those bones."

Shi said the bulk of that preparation likely will come during the summer.

The day-to-day experience of the current director, Davis said, is "sort of like sitting in a firehouse" waiting for an emergency call to come.

"That can be a pretty tall order sometimes," he said.

He said the staff of four sometimes receives many complaints at one time, and it must often respond to those complaints within 10 days.

A self-described "workaholic," Davis said he once went two years as director taking a total of four days vacation: two Thanksgivings and two Christmases.

He said another lawyer will join the office next year to handle sexual harassment investigations.

"Certainly the addition of another attorney ... will make the person who succeeds me a better family man," Davis said.

Shi said he is in the process of meeting with many people to learn more about the office's role in the investigation process.

"Conceptually I have an idea of how that's going to be set up," he said. "If there's an identifiable need that needs to be addressed in terms of personnel or facilities, I certainly will pass that up to my superiors."

Shi said he hopes to make the office's responsibilities "transparent."

Continued...

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