For Central Connecticut’s Theatre Department, the aftermath of Joshua Perlstein’s actions still leaves a stain, but one professor is trying to clean it up by changing the way he interacts with students.

“There’s definitely [now] an open-door policy,” Theater Professor Thomas Delventhal said. “I haven’t discussed that with other faculties in the department, but I have certainly adapted that policy myself.”

From Delventhal’s perspective, an “open-door” policy means that, unless specifically asked, he would intentionally keep the door open when speaking or meeting with a student or faculty.

Delventhal, who has been at CCSU for over two decades, said his willingness to adopt the policy is the least he can to do help make his students feel safe.

“The atmosphere might make it seem to students that they can’t be open or shouldn’t be open, and so we’re just trying to create as much warmth, openness and conversation and dialogue as we can,” Delventhal said.

Despite the fact that a new student-administrative approach has been put in place for Delventhal, Political Science Professor Jason Jakubowski said this measure is one he has always kept in place. 

“I don’t really have a reason to meet with students behind closed doors. I prefer to interact with students in groups,” Jakubowski said. “I think there are clearly people who do these types of things and don’t see anything wrong with it. I don’t understand how people do some of the things they do.”

One thing both of the professors agreed on, however, was that, had the #MeToo movement not taken social media by storm, alleged victims may have never spoken up.

“I felt very strongly for the alleged victims in the situation,” Jakubowski said. “The idea that they have now felt comfortable enough to come forward, I think that’s great, but I also think that it’s indicative of a societal shift that we have seen here in America over the last year, year and a half.”

Delventhal also acknowledged that idea, saying that there is a “balance of power that’s shifting.” 

However, now having taken over Perlstein’s former office, Delventhal said his biggest hope is for CCSU’s investigation to end and for the department to move on, thanking President Dr. Zulma Toro for her “strong leadership” in the situation. 

“I don’t have any particular way that I want it to come down, I want to know that the students are safe, that we’re safe and that we have the foundation to rebuild,” Delventhal said. 

For Jakubowski, who also credited Dr. Toro’s response to the allegations, biggest hope for CCSU’s future involves the Task Force Recommendations include that will include some “very clear and specific things that can be done to implement.”

“The idea of what I think we can all do collectively, whether it’s the administration or fellow students, whether its other professors, is to agree to completely have a zero tolerance policy on all of this stuff,” Jakubowski said. “If we see something, we have an obligation to report it.”