You, Me, and We: Working Together to Support Sexual Assault Survivors’ Well-Being, Recovery, and Empowerment;

Dr. Rebecca Campbell, Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University

Time: 9:15-10 a.m.

This presentation will examine how we—friends, family, campus officials, and community service providers—can support sexual assault survivors’ well-being, recovery, and empowerment. First and foremost, we need to understand the impact of trauma, so we will begin with a brief overview of the neurobiology of trauma. Then, from this trauma-informed perspective, we will examine how we can support survivors’ disclosures and informed choices about seeking help from advocates, health care providers, Title IX officials, and/or the police.

Presentation of Handbook (Over Lunch)

Time: 1:00 p.m.

This year, First Lady Sue Snyder created a workgroup to develop resources for campus sexual assault survivors. These resources were made into a handbook to provide information about support services in Michigan, including information about Title IX, how to connect with law enforcement for help, the availability of a sexual assault medical forensic examination and where to find campus and community support services. The handbook is now available in hardcopy format and online at www. mi.gov/campussexualassault.

Ending Rape: Social Change Approach to Sexual Violence Prevention

Keith Edwards, speaker and educator on sexual violence prevention, men’s identity, social justice education, and curricular approaches

Time: 3:00-3:45 p.m.

This presentation defines and explores the realities of sexual violence, critiques traditional approaches on campus and in society in general, and reframes how we can approach sexual violence prevention proactively. Participants will be able to clearly define informed consent to others as well as recognize our mis-education from cultural messages at the roots of sexual violence.  Participants will leave the session with a vivid understanding of the issues and tangible ways to make change happen.

Breakout Sessions

Session One (10:15 – 11:15 a.m.)

Policy Panel

Facilitator: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell

Panelists: State Representative Laura Cox, State Representative Kristy Pagan, State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker and State Senator Rebekah Warren

Michigan policymakers have led the country with the response to untested sexual assault evidence kits, sexual assault evidence kit tracking, and other sexual assault initiatives. This panel will discuss emerging policy issues related to sexual assault in Michigan with a focus on implementation and system changes necessary to meaningfully realize these efforts.

Preventing Sexual Violence Through Positive Culture Change

Facilitator: Melanie Boyd, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs in the Yale College Dean’s Office, Director of the Office of Gender and Campus Culture

Sexual violence does not take shape in a vacuum. It grows out of, and is enabled by, a series of violence supporting cultural patterns. To effectively protect our students from sexual violence, we must do more than raise awareness of these patterns – we must actively remake campus culture. This presentation offers a conceptual framework for reorienting our efforts, along with specific strategies and concrete examples from an undergraduate program focused on positive culture change.

Beyond Compliance: In Search of Effective, Fair and Trauma-Informed Campus Sexual Misconduct Investigations

Rebecca Leitman Veidlinger, Attorney Consultant Title IX Investigations & Compliance

This interactive session, designed for school administrators and campus Title IX staff, explores several complex considerations that go into institutions’ development of sexual misconduct investigative processes:  compliance with federal law, fairness in process, and trauma-informed practice.  In leading the session, Rebecca will share lessons learned through her own Title IX investigations and ask other institutional staff to share their experiences, with the goal of identifying effective investigative practices that go beyond just checking the box of compliance.

Panel Discussion Focused on Masculinity

Facilitator: David Lisak, Researcher & Forensic Consultant Focused on the Causes and Consequences of Interpersonal Violence

Panelists: Rus Funk, MSW, CSE, Consultant; David Garvin, MSW, LMSW, Chief Operating Officer, Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County; David Manville, BSW Advisor & Lecturer, Eastern Michigan University

This panel will discuss the role of men and masculinity in the culture that supports sexual assault and sexual assault prevention. The panelists each have lifelong careers working on the issue of sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence

Student-led Prevention Education and Leadership

Samantha Santos, LMSW, LA VIDA/CHASS Prevention Coordinator; Leila Ramirez, LA VIDA Youth Board member; Catalina Rios, BSW, LA VIDA Intern and former Peer Assistant Facilitor with the LA VIDA Partnership; Yeliani Valdez, former Future Public Health Leaders Program Intern and Youth Board member, EMU Student; Jessie Urban-Guzman, LMSW, MPH, Youth and Legal Program Manager, LA VIDA Partnership/CHASS Center

This presentation will focus on best practices, dialogue and youth leadership in preventing dating violence and sexual assault among youth of color, with a focus on the Latinx community.  Presenters will work together with participants to discuss methods of youth leadership development and peer-led programs that address gender norms and attitudes with an empowerment-based approach.

Session Two (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

 Student Focused Workshop: Confronting the Reality of Sexual Violence

David Lisak, Researcher & Forensic Consultant Focused on the Causes and Consequences of Interpersonal Violence

To confront the reality of sexual violence on college campuses requires confronting the reality of who perpetrates this violence. During this presentation, college students will hear summaries of twenty years of research on men who commit rape on college campuses. The research indicates that many of these assaults are characterized by extensive planning and premeditation, the frequent use of alcohol and other drugs to render victims vulnerable, and the use of intimidation and threats. Further, a strong majority of these rapists are serial offenders, and a majority commit other forms of violence.

Cultural Interventions: Working with Students to Change Campus Norms

Facilitator: Melanie Boyd, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs in the Yale College Dean’s Office, Director of the Office of Gender and Campus Culture

A follow-up to Breakout Session #1’s “Preventing Sexual Violence through Positive Culture Change,” this workshop will focus on the pragmatics of fostering positive culture change.  Participants will work to identify norms they would like to change on their own campuses, and begin developing intervention plans.

Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault

Heather McCauley, Assistant Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, Michigan State University

For some sexual assault survivors, sharing their experiences of assault with friends, family and the campus community can be a helpful first step in taking control back of their lives. A supportive response from these key people can be a critical factor in facilitating connection to community and campus resources and help mitigate feelings of self-blame, shock, or fear, which are common after sexual assault. This session will leverage survivor voices regarding what they want and need from those around them and how our communities can support survivors and promote healing.

Campus Sexual Assault Grant: Best Practices for Getting the Most Out of Your Grant

Nancy Becker Bennett, Matt Opsommer, and Lindsey Holden, (Michigan State Police); Claire Khouri (Governor’s Office)

For the third year, the Michigan Legislature has approved funding for the Campus Sexual Assault Grant program, appropriating $600,000 for the upcoming grant. Colleges and universities throughout Michigan can apply for funding aimed at increasing awareness of campus sexual assault, developing programs to combat sexual assault on campus, and distributing educational materials to students and faculty.

Creating a Campus Environment to Mobilize Men to help end Rape and Sexual Assault

Facilitator: Rus Funk, MSW, CSE, Consultant

Most efforts to engage, mobilize and organize men on college campuses are focused on efforts at the individual level:  bystander intervention, educational programs, and leadership development efforts.  This workshop will investigate the different opportunities that people in different roles (i.e. staff, students, faculty, parents, community partners) have in helping to shape a campus environment.  Attendees will be provided an assessment tool that campuses can use to evaluate their current environment.

Session Three (1:45-2:45 p.m.)

 Change starts with YOU: How students can help change rape culture on campus

Panelists: Lauren Debski, Registered Nurse; Jen Jacobsen, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Wellness and Prevention, Grinnell College; Kelsey Snyder, Director of Membership and Internal Affairs, Panhellenic Peer Educators, University of Michigan, Class of 2018; Jessie Urban-Guzman, LMSW, MPH, Youth and Legal Program Manager, LA VIDA Partnership/CHASS Center

In the ongoing fight to end campus sexual assault, the ones who can make the biggest difference are students themselves. This session brings together representatives from different campus groups and organizations to talk about how every student can be a champion for change on their campus. We will discuss how to stay safe while using online dating apps, or meeting with people in real life.

Comprehensive Education to Prevent Sexual Violence

Facilitator: Keith Edwards, speaker and educator on sexual violence prevention, men’s identity, social justice education, and curricular approaches

This session will explore the content of sexual violence prevention education. Participants will examine the content of sexual violence prevention through potential learning goals and outcomes. Participants will also discuss a series of considerations including developmental sequencing, unified and clear messaging, engaging multiple and intersecting communities around sexual violence prevention, and being survivor centered.

Sexual Assault Risk and Prevention Among Marginalized College Students

Heather McCauley, Assistant Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, Michigan State University

Evidence from campus climate surveys suggests that there are populations of students at increased risk for campus sexual assault, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, racial and ethnic minority students, and students with disabilities. This session will review the research on sexual assault disparities among marginalized college students, highlight campus climate factors that influence risk for sexual violence, and discuss prevention strategies for creating an inclusive climate for all.

 Campus Sexual Assault Grant: Best Practices for Getting the Most Out of Your Grant

Facilitators: Nancy Becker Bennett, Matt Opsommer, and Lindsey Holden, (Michigan State Police); Claire Khouri (Governor’s Office)

For the third year, the Michigan Legislature has approved funding for the Campus Sexual Assault Grant program, appropriating $600,000 for the upcoming grant. Colleges and universities throughout Michigan can apply for funding aimed at increasing awareness of campus sexual assault, developing programs to combat sexual assault on campus, and distributing educational materials to students and faculty. This workshop will walk participants through the grant writing process, answer any questions about the grant specifically, and brainstorm programming ideas.

 A Workshop for Campus Professionals and Criminal Justice Allies: Confronting the Reality of Sexual Violence

David Lisak, Researcher & Forensic Consultant Focused on the Causes and Consequences of Interpersonal Violence

To confront the reality of sexual violence on college campuses requires confronting the reality of who perpetrates this violence. During this presentation, administrators will hear summaries of twenty years of research on men who commit rape on college campuses. The research indicates that many of these assaults are characterized by extensive planning and premeditation, the frequent use of alcohol and other drugs to render victims vulnerable, and the use of intimidation and threats. Further, a strong majority of these rapists are serial offenders, and a majority commit other forms of violence.