Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) is one of the ten campuses across the state of Indiana, and among three Indiana University campuses to participate in the 2017 Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault (ICESA): Campus Consortium Conference at the Renaissance North Hotel in Carmel, Indiana.

Members of the IUPUC campus offered three workshops on September 6—7, at the ICESA Campus Consortium Conference at the Renaissance North Hotel in Carmel, Indiana. Included was a roundtable presentation titled, “Engaging the Campus Community in Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention,” “Sexual Hookup Culture & its Impact on Healthy Relationship,” and “Victims and Advocates: Helping Victims Regain Power and Control When They Choose Not to File a Report.”To launch the Campus Consortium, ICESA received a three-year federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH). ICESA is honored to be one of nine federal recipients of the OWH College Sexual Assault Policy and Prevention Initiative grant. The hope is the initiative will serve as a model for colleges and universities across the country.

PRESENTATION 1: DESCRIPTION & LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Engaging the Campus Community in Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention on a Commuter Campus via Student, Staff, and Faculty Activists: Ideas for Programming from Feminism Club at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus
Dr. Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, Brandi Rund & IUPUC students: Clayton Ham, Emily Pedigo, Courtney Watkins

One of the challenges of sexual violence prevention on a commuter campus is engagement: everyone is busy with schoolwork, jobs, and families, to name a few priorities. Also, for the Feminism Club at IUPUC, activism that focuses on sexual assault awareness and prevention is a priority. To that end, the club, comprised of students and assisted by staff and faculty, has become one of the most visible entities on campus, in part because of its dedication to serving students, staff, faculty, and the larger community outside of IUPUC and agitation for participation in prevention efforts.

The roundtable/panel discussion featured student, staff, and faculty voices on successful programming efforts by addressing sexual violence on a commuter campus with limited funds and pivoted on the following four learning objectives to explain the importance of

1)    Take Back the Night event

2)    Crotch Watch event

3)    Denim Day event

4)    Student lead discussions regarding campus sexual violence prevention and education.

PRESENTATION 2: DESCRIPTION & LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Hookup Culture & its Impact on Healthy Relationship
Dr. Sandra Miles

The workshop focused on today’s “hookup culture” and the cultural effects it has on unhealthy perceptions about sex and relationships. Researchers have begun to uncover increasing ambiguity and confusion amongst young women as it relates to the difference between assault and casual sex.

This session described the consistent characteristics attributed to hooking up, provided suggestions regarding methods that challenge and support students willing to engage in the culture and provide means of helping to make consensual as compared to coerced sexual activity. The learning objectives of the presentation included:

1)    Participants gained a stronger understanding of millennial cultural norms

2)    Participants discussed methods of using affirmative consent to distinguish between assault and casual sex

3)    Participants received tools to engage with millennials in productive conversations related to hookup culture

PRESENTATION 3: DESCRIPTION & LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Victims and Advocates: Helping Victims Regain Power and Control When They Choose Not to File a Report
Dr. Sandra Miles & Bailey Moss

This workshop allowed a forum for a victim to share her story including the circumstances that led her to decide not to report and methods utilized to push through the pain of her circumstances. The second half of the presentation provided tips on how to have a conversation with a victim who is not sure whether or not they want to file a report; working with faculty and staff who are pressuring students to report, and providing nonjudgmental support to a victim that is adamantly opposed to reporting. The learning objectives of the presentation included:

1)    Participants gained a stronger understanding of the decision-making process many victims go through

2)    Participants discussed methods of using trauma-informed response to guide the initial victim debrief

3)    Participants received tools to engage with faculty and staff to help them understand the need to allow victims to remain in control of the process at all times.

A positive outcome of the program was the development of criteria that others can replicate. Furthermore, the audience engaged in relevant conversation and shared viewpoints.