Content Warning: This legislation contains mention of sensitive subjects including sexual assault, rape and violence.
Executive Summary
Consent education is a curriculum that teaches students how to define boundaries in personal interactions and how to recognize social cues. Right now, consent education consists of a series of online modules centered on sexual misconduct that students complete on their own. At UT, there is no plan in place to improve the current condition of consent education. Furthermore, the most recent sexual misconduct survey at UT indicated that 28% of female undergraduates report being victims of unwanted sexual advances1. At UT, incoming freshmen are placed into First-Year Interest Groups, and this legislation would require that every FIG dedicate one meeting to consent education. This new format would allow students to actively engage with the material and ensure that they are prepared to understand what defines consent and how to communicate boundaries in their future relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is the curriculum from?
A: The curriculum will be developed by the Title IX office, adapted from the course “Are We Okay? Tools and tips for setting and communicating our boundaries. This curriculum was developed using student focus group as well as feedback from student-led organizations dedicated to sexual assault prevention such as Not On My Campus and the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Coalition.
Q: Who is presenting the curriculum in FIGS?
A: The Title IX Staff would be responsible for presenting the material.
Q: Are the FIGs going to be mandatory?
A: No, but the consent education class will be held towards the beginning of the semester within the first three to four meetings when FIG attendance is high. Any student not comfortable attending has the option to not attend, but attendance will be highly encouraged.
Q: What does implementation look like?
A: In order to implement this curriculum, the first step would be to pass this bill ensuring that every FIG course includes one class on consent education into their curriculum. The next step would be to organize a meeting with FIG mentors within the first two weeks of the semester to discuss what week they will cover the curriculum and whether they would prefer a Title IX or student volunteer teach the curriculum. Finally, the CNS FIG coordinators (Supna Sharma and Tepera Holman) as well as the Senior Administrative Program Coordinator (Lisa Valdez) will ensure that consent education is being properly carried out for FIGS across the university.