In 2018 a province-wide Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey was conducted and Nipissing has received it’s results.
The university says they had strong scores in a number of areas.
They include:
– Nipissing students are confident that our institutional response to reported instances of sexual violence would be supportive in nature
– Nipissing students feel informed about our institutional supports and how to report instances of sexual violence.
– Nipissing students are being exposed to active dialogue and have an opportunity to discuss issues related to sexual violence during their studies as well as in other university sanctioned events, activities and outreach campaigns
– Respondents validate that a very strong culture of consent exists at Nipissing
– Nipissing students have very strong bystander beliefs and values and would very likely intervene should they find themselves in a circumstance of being a bystander
– For those students who have disclosed an incident with university personnel, students found our services very helpful.
“At Nipissing, we place a high value on the student experience which means investing heavily in student services so that students feel supported and comfortable coming forward to access support,” said Dr. Casey Phillips, Assistant Vice-President, Students. “The survey results highlight the strength of our supports on campus, but we also know that any incidence of sexual violence is too many and we are committed to continuously reviewing and enhancing our supports in order to provide a safe and supportive environment for students to live, learn and work. We would like to thank all students who participated in this important survey to better inform our policies and initiatives related to the prevention of sexual violence”.
Although Maclean’s ranks Nipissing number one in sexual assault prevention among Canadian Universities, Nipissing says they know that more needs to be done.
In response to the survey results, the Sexual Violence Task Force made up of a diverse group of faculty, students and staff, is currently reviewing the Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey results and will be coming forward with a final report and set of recommendations by the end of the semester.
The University says they continue to offer preventative programming led by a dedicated Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator including campaigns related to informed consent and bystander training.

(photo by station staff)

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