Guttman’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards shows the college’s commitment to Consent Education by embarking on a Consent Campaign each year. The program is part of  broader efforts aimed towards Affirmative Consent that will continue with online trainings for special groups of students, in-person trainings and activities by the Office of Student Conduct, NYC Alliance and the Title IX Office as well as more activities during Women’s History and Sexual Assault Awareness months.

Affirmative Consent is a paradigmatic shift away from the “No Means No” approach, which is seen as more negative and places too much angst on the receiver to say no. Our consent campaign is a deliberate attempt to get participants to understand that when the burden is shifted from the survivors to the initiators, it’s simple: consent is consent. The main focus of the campaign revolves around the idea that consent must be given knowingly, voluntarily, affirmatively and continuously. Students are introduced to videos of other college students and their definitions of consent and other activities which revolve around issues to determine fundamental myths and assumptions about consent and personal boundaries.

The outcomes of the campaign so far demonstrate the need for more conversations and programming in these areas. While continuous education is necessary, students left with a greater awareness that meaningful consent is a voluntary, mutual, honest and verbal agreement which can never be implied and assumed. Most participants said they now have a greater awareness of the concept of consent, sexual assault and boundaries. The challenge here lies in the nuances of consent and students’ assumptions that nonverbal cues add more ambiguity to obtaining consent. Guttman and The City University of New York recognize the significant impact of all experiences of sexual assault and violence and are committed to promoting a culture in which these issues are not tolerated and that the campus is responsive and accountable to its constituents..

For more information on programs presented by the Office of Student Conduct, contact Carolee Ramsay at carolee.ramsay@guttman.cuny.edu or visit the Student Conduct page. Students can also join the campaigns or the conversation on social media @GuttmanOSC and #GCCWOW