Fleming College

 

Peterborough ON – (February 28, 2017) – Fleming College, Trent University and their student associations are encouraging communication around sexual consent through a new campaign aimed at post-secondary students and the public.

The campaign #DoYouTalkConsent? is a partnership between Fleming, Trent, the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC), and PARN – Your Community AIDS Resource Network, and includes a series of posters and a video.

“We want to encourage people to have more communication around sexual consent and what that looks like in practice,” said Amie Kroes, Fleming College’s Student Rights and Responsibilities Officer. “Negotiation of consent, specifically in situations where one or both parties have been consuming alcohol, can get complicated. Seeing positive, pro-social messaging around how to negotiate consent in those cases is our goal.”

“Helping students find the language to negotiate consent is an important part of sexual assault prevention,” said Ruth Walker, clinical team leader, Health Services at Trent University. “We are also proud of the collaboration between our post-secondary institutions, student unions, KSAC, and PARN, which reflects our community-wide efforts to address the issue of sexual violence.”

The posters feature three scenarios – two at a bar and one at a home – in which two acquaintances are depicted in conversation. They have met through friends at a bar, and throughout the night begin to negotiate sexual consent.

“As opposed a message of ‘you must get consent,’ we are attempting to take the conversation one step further and show examples of how one may negotiate consent,” said Kroes.

“So often we hear the messages of ‘No Means No,’ but what if we never hear ‘No’? What are some of the other ways that indicate that there may be a question of sexual consent?” asks Lisa Clarke, Community Engagement Manager at Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre.

The posters will be shared on campuses, as well as digitally on social media. The video will be shared on the social media accounts of the campaign partners and can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRj3taO2-3o. You can follow the campaign through the hashtags #DoYouTalkConsent? #FlemingTalksConsent #TrentTalksConsent.

 About Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 5,900 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 71,000 alumni.

About Trent University
One of Canada’s top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that’s personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent’s unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent’s students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent’s Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham – Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.

About the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre
The Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting those affected by sexual violence.  At our Centre in Peterborough, we offer individual counselling, group counselling and workshops, peer supports, public education and professional training.  In our three surrounding communities of City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Northumberland, we work with local centres to provide responsive healing supports and public education events.

 

-30-

Media, for more information please contact:
Laura Copeland
Communications Officer
laura.copeland@flemingcollege.ca
705-749-5530 x 1370

Kate Weersink
Media Relations & Strategic Communications Officer
kateweersink@trentu.ca
705-748-1011x 6180

 

#DoYoutTalkConsent? Posters