Laurier marks Consent Awareness Week with educational events for students

Sept. 19, 2022

Wilfrid Laurier University will host educational events during Consent Awareness Week, which takes place between Sept. 19 and 23 at Laurier’s Brantford and Waterloo campuses.

Consent Awareness Week aims to raise awareness among students about the role that consent plays in the development of healthy relationships and in reducing sexual violence. Laurier is committed to fostering a culture that advocates for consent as gendered and sexual violence is not tolerated.

“Consent Awareness Week is a new initiative across the country which is timed as a direct response to the ‘red zone,’ when there are statistically heightened instances of sexual assault happening during the first semester of university,” says Sarah Scanlon, manager of sexual violence response in the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management at Laurier. “This week aims to normalize collective skill-building to move towards a consent culture, which includes healthy sexual communication, understanding and naming boundaries, safer partying and sex practices, capacity for rejection and engaging as active bystanders when we witness harm.”

The following events are free and open to all Laurier students. Advanced registration may be required for some events.

Monday, Sept. 19

Video launch: Moving Beyond a Consent 101

Created by Laurier’s Consent is Golden team, Moving Beyond a Consent 101 is a short, animated video that discusses how to develop healthy intimate relationships through action, behaviour and communication. Visit Consent is Golden on Instagram to view the video.

Online Workshop: Bystander Intervention

Presented by Laurier’s Gendered Violence Prevention and Support team, the bystander intervention workshop explores ways that bystanders can respond to encounters with harm. Completion of this workshop will count towards the Responding to Disclosures certificate.

The workshop takes place between noon and 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register.

Instagram Takeover

Tune into Laurier’s Instagram account for an all-day takeover by Laurier’s Consent is Golden team as they share information and resources on consent, Consent Awareness Week activities at Laurier, healthy relationships and acting in solidarity.

Tuesday, Sept. 20

We Believe Survivors Day: Waterloo Campus

Laurier will mark We Believe Survivors Day at the Waterloo campus on Sept. 20 and at the Brantford campus on Sept. 21 with an open art-jam session and resource fair. Students, staff and faculty are invited to participate in on-site and take-home activities, including silk screening, button-making, a collective art project and photo display. Community organizations will also be in attendance.

• Waterloo campus: Sept. 20, noon to 4 p.m., the Quad
• Brantford campus: Sept. 21, noon to 4 p.m., Research and Academic Centre West (RCW), lobby

Wednesday, Sept. 21

We Believe Survivors Day: Brantford Campus

As above.

Instagram Takeover: Curiosity Labs’ Curious about Pleasure?

Consent is Golden at Laurier and Consent Comes First at Toronto Metropolitan University will reflect on what brings joy and pleasure in our relationship with ourselves and others. Follow along with Consent is Golden on Instagram.

Thursday, Sept. 22

Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union Banging Brunch Talk

Laurier’s Students’ Union welcomes Sarah Crawford, sexual violence prevention and harm reduction coordinator at Algonquin College, as she discusses consent, sex, and human anatomy – complete with cartoon drawings – in her presentation “The Best Sex Ever.”

The presentation will be offered at both Laurier campuses:

• Waterloo campus: 11 a.m., the Turret
• Brantford campus: 2 p.m., RCW lobby

Rally

Students across postsecondary institutions in Canada have planned a rally on Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. to bring awareness to the need for enhanced consent education and demonstrate solidarity for survivors. Rallies will take place in the Quad at Laurier’s Waterloo campus and the RCW courtyard at Laurier’s Brantford campus. The rallies are organized by the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union.

Friday, Sept. 23

Instagram Takeover

Consent Awareness Week at Laurier closes with a takeover of Laurier’s Instagram account by Laurier’s Consent is Golden team as they share additional resources and consent, support and ways to remain in solidarity with survivors.

For more information about Consent Awareness Week at Laurier, email Sarah Scanlon, manager of sexual violence response, at sscanlon@wlu.ca.

Consent Education at Laurier

Laurier offers a range of in-person and online programming open to students, staff and faculty to promote a culture of consent. Programming includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Sexual Violence Response certificate: provided upon the completion of six of nine virtual workshops about building knowledge and skills to respond to disclosures and build solidarity for survivors.
• Curiosity Labs: a series of seven online workshops designed to explore topics including communication, boundaries, rejection, apologizing and handling conflict.
• Student wellness education workshops, including healthy relationships, resilience and conflict management.
• Consensual Explorations, a mandatory online workshop for students living in residence. The workshop addresses topics including boundaries, sexual communication, rejection, safer partying and play, among others.

Support and Resources

Support is available to all members of the Laurier community who have been impacted by gendered or sexual violence, regardless of when or where the violence took place.

Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention and Supports:

• 519.884.1970 x4847
• svinfo@wlu.ca

24-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Lines:

• Waterloo: 519.741.8633
• Brantford: 519.751.3471

Emergency: 911

Special Constable Service:

• Waterloo: 519.885.3333 (external phones) or x3333 (on-campus phones)
• Brantford: 519.770.3778 (external phones) or x3333 (on-campus phones)

Employee and Family Assistance Program

• Confidential support available to Laurier employees and their dependents
• 1.800.663.1142