Community Engagement + Action Plan 2024-25
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About
The U of A is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment for all community members in addressing sexual and gender-based violence on campus. As part of this commitment, the U of A is currently undertaking a community engagement and action plan initiative for the Sexual Assault Centre. We want to grow and expand sexual and gender-based violence survivor support and education services for U of A students in a way that reflects their needs.
Building on the Centre’s 30+ years of service to the U of A community, this initiative is meant to shape the future priorities of the Sexual Assault Centre’s crisis intervention services, education and awareness initiatives, and volunteer program. At the core of the process are guiding principles of curiosity, transparency, equity, co-design, and care. In three phases the work is focused on collective growth. We can only flourish when seeds are planted and nourished together.
Timeline
Phase 1: Planting
Spring + Summer 2024
The university commissioned Possibility Seeds, a Canadian systems change consultancy, to provide actionable, transparent, and evidence-based recommendations to guide the Centre’s community engagement, programs and activities throughout the 2024-25 academic year and beyond. Possibility Seeds has extensive experience building safer, equitable workplaces, organizations, and institutions. Their recommendations are informed by conversations with campus partners and community members, a literature review and data from the 2023 Alberta Campus Climate Survey on Sexual and Gender-based Violence, and 20+ years of leadership and participation in campus sexual violence prevention.
Phase 2: Growing
Fall 2024 to Spring 2025
Already integrating recommendations and community input from Phase 1, the U of A has a new administrative structure in place to support the U of A Sexual Assault Centre, in collaboration with key on and off-campus partners in sexual and gender-based violence education and support. We are sharing and implementing strategies and recommendations identified during Phase 1.
Phase 3: Flourishing
Fall 2025
U of A will work with campus partners and do a one-year check-in from the start of the process to assess the impact of recommendations on service provision and broader campus culture.
Participate
Throughout the process, student representatives, faculty, staff and Sexual Assault Centre volunteers will have opportunities to share their insights. Your ideas, insights, and input are crucial in shaping the Sexual Assault Centre. See the News or Current Opportunities for the latest opportunities to be involved. Your input is crucial, and we thank you for taking the time to participate.
FAQs
Why is the U of A reviewing and holding community conversations on the Sexual Assault Centre?
In 2023-24, the Centre experienced significant changes - to its small support team, to sexual and gender-based university policy and procedures, and as part of the alignment of health and wellness services at the U of A. We want to make sure that sexual and gender-based support and awareness services for U of A community members align with current and leading practices and the needs of our U of A community, particularly as we are at a time when wellness resources are in high demand everywhere.
What are the principles guiding its development?
At the core of the process are the guiding principles of curiosity, transparency, equity, co-design, shared learning, and care. The process recognizes that change unfolds throughout the journey rather than at its conclusion. It is designed to actively work to prioritize campus community members' experiences, perspectives, and insights throughout the process in thoughtful and trauma-informed ways.
Who is guiding this work?
The Sexual Assault Centre is part of the portfolio of health and wellness services under the Dean of Students’ Senior Leadership Team. The Assistant Dean, Community Wellness Supports is responsible for delivering integrated wellness supports that strengthen individual and community mental health and well-being and sexual and gender-based violence prevention and support services. Learn more about our team.
This work is and will be informed through participation, input and feedback from U of A community members, including student representatives, Sexual Assault Centre volunteers, and other on and off-campus partners.
The U of A engaged Canadian systems change consultancy, Possibility Seeds, to undertake an expert and external review and provide recommendations on the Sexual Assault Centre’s structure and approach to delivering critical support to sexual and gender-based violence survivors. Possibility Seeds is a nationally recognized leader in campus sexual violence prevention, with over 20 years of experience working with community organizations, governments, and private and public institutions. Possibility Seeds led the award-winning Courage to Act project, a national multi-year initiative funded by the Government of Canada, to create safer, trauma-informed post-secondary campuses. They created a national network of 4,800+ gender-based violence experts and advocates and have created 80+ resources to respond to campus gender-based violence.
What is the 2023 Alberta Campus Climate Survey on Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV)?
To better understand the climate of SGBV experienced by post-secondary students in Alberta, the Campus Climate Survey on Sexual and Gender-based Violence was administered by the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Advanced Education. This survey was circulated across 26 publicly-funded Alberta post-secondary institutions, and a report summarizing the responses to the study was published in August 2023. This is the most comprehensive scan of attitudes and beliefs about SGBV and consent, awareness and knowledge of institution supports, experiences of SGBV, and perceptions of the institution landscape regarding SGBV conducted at Alberta’s post-secondary institutions.