Stopit is a program managed by Information Services & Technology (IS&T) and coordinated in partnership with various departments on campus, including the Ombuds Office and MIT Police. When an incident of harassment, incivility or other abuse occurs at MIT through an e-mail, a website, an instant message, or text message, you can send a report to stopit@mit.edu. The incident will be addressed with the goal of getting the unwelcome behavior to stop.
As President Susan Hockfield stated in an e-mail to MIT staff, “Harassment undermines our sense of community and will not be tolerated at MIT. Not only is such behavior contrary to MIT policy, it may be against the law.”
Renewed and refocused
For some time after Stopit began in 1992, its e-mail address was used for all kinds of complaints, including spam, electronic copyright infringement and Athena workstation misuse. Stopit now focuses primarily on inappropriate use of the MIT network, e-mail and mailing-list abuse, and harassing electronic messages. The revitalization of the program in 2010 addresses this significant change.
Complaints outside Stopit’s scope are now handled through these e-mail addresses:
- Spam — helpdesk@mit.edu
- Electronic copyright complaints — dmca-agent@mit.edu
- Athena workstation misuse — hotline@mit.edu
Bookmarks and more information
To help revitalize the program, IS&T has created a Stopit bookmark with contact information (preview the PDF version online). The bookmark also lists other resources on campus that offer assistance with problems of harassment. If you would like a bookmark — or several of them to place in a visible area where visitors, colleagues and students can pick them up — send mail to stopit@mit.edu.
For more information on the program, visit the MIT Stopit web page.
