Summary Report: Consultation Meeting with College Representatives on Enhancing Gender Based Violence Education

May 12, 2015: 9:30am – 11:00am

Teleconference

Introduction

The Learning Network organized a consultation meeting of leaders from colleges in Ontario and leaders in gender-based violence education from the community. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the following question: Is there a systemic approach that would enable college programs to enhance gender-based violence curricula by using resources/curricula developed with provincial grants through the Ontario Women’s Directorate?

The Learning Network is a provincial knowledge translation and exchange initiative in the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children at Western University. We are committed to education on issues related to gender-based violence, including those related to intimate partner violence, sexual violence and harassment, and children’s exposure to violence in the home.

Attendees

Julie Jeffries, Chair of Nursing/Faculty of Health & Community Studies, Algonquin College; Mary Louise Noce, Associate Dean, School of Community Studies, Sheridan College, Carol Phillips, Associate Dean, School of Community Services, Niagara College; Helen Fennema, Professor, Social Service Worker Program, Canadore College; Sean Lougheed, Mental Health and Addiction Worker Program, Canadore College; Cynthia Renton, Professor, Mental Health and Addictions Program, Canadore College; Brenda Quennville, Executive Director, Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing; Farai Gonzo, Professor, Centennial College; Caroline Sauvé, Coordinator, Human Rights, Violence, and Sexual Assault and Violence Directives, La Cité College; Sandra Fieber, Chair, School of Human Services, Fanshawe College; Kate Bojin, Coordinator, White Ribbon;, Coordinator, Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres; Robin Mason, Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute; Susan Loosley, Professor, Early Childhood Education, Fanshawe College; Sly Castaldi, Executive Member, Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres/Co-Chair, Provincial Round Table on Violence Against Women; Farrah Kahn, Counsellor and Advocate, Barbra Schlifer Clinic; Linda Baker, Learning Director, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children; Anna-Lee Straatman, Research Associate, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, Nicole Etherington, Research Associate, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, Marcie Campbell,Research Associate, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children; Elsa Barreto, Multi-media Specialist, Centre for Research on Violence Against Women & Children

Regrets

Meg Houghton, Director, Student Access, Wellness and Development, Humber College; Sonia DelMissier, VP Academic, Cambrian College; Tracey Marshall, Professor, School of Justice and Emergency Services, Durham College; Patricia Chorney Rubin, Director, School of Early Childhood, George Brown College; Maxine Laine, Chair, Faculty of Community Services & Health Services, School of Social and Community Services/Deaf and Blind, George Brown College; Kevin Rajpaulsing, Director, Student Life, Centennial College;

The Importance of College Education

Ontario colleges are integral in training students for positions in human, community, health, and criminal justice services. Inevitably, graduates from college programs will come into contact with survivors of gender-based violence once in the field, an issue that colleges are committed to addressing through educational training. Given the increased attention to gender-based violence throughout the province, there is a unique opportunity to enhance gender-based violence curricula in colleges across Ontario. When graduates enter the work force in a broad range of sectors and positions, they will play an important role in recognizing and responding to individuals who have experienced violence.

Challenges Facing Colleges Identified by Participants

Students

  • Need to change student attitudes toward violence – currently a high tolerance for violence
  • Packaging information so that it is more appealing and accessible to today’s students

Curriculum

  • Family violence has to be part of every SSW program but lack of clarity and systematic process in terms of how it is embedded (i.e., may be part of many courses or a stand-alone course; often relies on passion of individual professor)
  • Addressing macro level issues (e.g. rape culture) in courses to better prepare students for practice
  • Teaching students to distinguish between trauma-related and mental health issues

Opportunities for Action Identified by Participants

Indexing Existing Resources

  • Catalogue resources: ‘For Professors’, ‘For Students’, etc.
  • Declare the suitability of resources (e.g. basic or advanced, ideal for a particular course)
  • Recommend where a resource could fit within a program

Strategic Outreach

  • Heads of Community send resources and information to other Associate Deans at each college
  • Set a fall face-to-face follow up meeting
  • Ontario Association of Social Service Worker Educators – membership is made up of program coordinators and faculty – get on their LISTSERV
  • Heads of Community meeting May 27-28 and again in the fall – GBV on the agenda
  • Heads of Health – spring and fall meetings – GBV on the agenda
  • Canadian Federation of Students
  • Include health care and criminal justice programs (e.g. nursing, police foundations)
  • Ontario College Counsellors – the committee representing all Counsellors in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology – report through the student Access and Success Coordinating Committee to the Council of Presidents – link with and inform about GBV resources

Promotion

  • Presence at college book fair so professors can be exposed to the resources
  • Reach professors at time sensitive points (i.e. when choosing new curricula for upcoming academic year)
  • Attend conferences attended by coordinators with a resource exhibit (e.g. Ontario Association for Social Service Worker Educators)

Dissemination

  • Create a ‘how to’ guide for instructors not familiar with existing resources on implementing them in the classroom
  • Create accompanying powerpoint slides and text question banks for resources
  • Create a generic set of introductory remarks and discussion points on gender-based violence that could be applied across programs that professors could then tailor to their specific course

College Program Review

  • Program review of curricula: opportunity to review and highlight where gender-based curricula can be incorporated in a more intentional manner
  • Fanshawe College has upcoming reviews of SSW, DSW, and ECE programs
  • Niagara College considering integration of gender-based curricula into Child & Youth Worker program

Ideas for Utilizing Resources

  • Professional development workshops for students
  • Resources could be delivered as part of co-curricular pieces that students are required to complete at part of their professional development; use resources within and outside of classroom
  • ‘Professional Passport’ (Sheridan College)
  • A week devoted to field readiness for students not on placement; have completion of gender-based curricula as a ‘stamp’

Learning Network Summary Report May 12/05 MeetingPage 1