Dear Faculty Member,
As a member of the CSB and SJU community, faculty play a critical role in responding to and reducing the rates of sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking (SADVDVS) on our campuses. The rates of SADVDVS among college students are high. We also know many students join our community having survived past trauma. We are developing a comprehensive toolkit with information to help you in a variety of ways. We expect to release the toolkit in October 2022.
As we work on developing the toolkit, we wanted to provide a brief snapshot of what is to come to get you started with the school year. We hope the information below will help you build a more inclusive, victim-centered, and trauma-informed classroom. Once the complete toolkit is released, we will notify faculty. In the meantime, feel free to contact either Project EMBRACE or the Title IX office with any needs you may have.
- Title IX office, 320-363-5943
- Project EMBRACE, 320-363-2036
In partnership,
Project EMBRACE & Title IX staff
Syllabi Statement
Including a statement in your course syllabus sends the message to the students that you take the issues seriously and understand the impact of SADVDVS. There are a couple of examples below. More examples will be provided in the comprehensive toolkit. Feel free to modify/adapt as you see fit.
- As a CSB and SJU faculty member, I support survivors of violence and I support a safe, violence-free campus community. You will be supported and believed if you talk with me about an experience with sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, or stalking (SADVDVS). Before reaching out to me to discuss an incident of SADVDVS, please know that I am a required reporter under Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy. That means, if you tell me about something that has happened, I am required to share the name and information with the Title IX office. Their office can provide supportive measures to help survivors in their healing journey.
Course Activities & Assignments
Faculty sometimes choose to incorporate activities related to SADVDVS into their courses as a way to enhance awareness and education on these topics. Assigning a paper on a topic or offering extra credit for participating in community events are a couple of options. More examples will be provided in the comprehensive toolkit.
How to Handle Difficult Conversations
Every survivor’s experience and healing are unique, there are times when topics in the classroom may lead to difficult conversations. The topic may not always be directly connected to SADVDVS, but related themes can still be difficult for a survivor of trauma. When this happens, it is important for faculty to have ideas on how to lead those conversations to keep a supportive environment for all students. More information will be made available in the comprehensive toolkit.
Content Warnings
There are times when faculty will have discussions on very sensitive topics during class and there could be students in your classroom who may have experienced trauma. Discussions related to SADVDVS or other violence/oppression topics can bring up flashbacks or thoughts about past trauma. It is important to let the students know in advance, when possible, if sensitive topics will be discussed in class.
Student Disclosures
There is information to help you with student disclosures available on the Title IX website here: How to Help a Student
Classroom Presentations
Consider offering a classroom presentation on the topics of SADVDVS. You can learn more by contacting the Project EMBRACE at 320-363-2036.
Ways to get Involved
There are many ways to get involved in response and prevention efforts on campus. Please contact Project EMBRACE at 320-363-2036 for more information.
Take Care of Yourself
These topics can be hard for anyone, and you may be a survivor yourself. It is important to take care of yourself if a student discloses an incident and/or difficult topics come up in class.
Additional information can be found on the Title IX website: Faculty and Staff Resources
