Student Senate Meeting October 28, 2015

Officer Updates and Reports Campus Carry Committee Members, Selected and Notified - Jazz

Voting Undergraduate Academic Advisory Task Force (Justin & Anjali)

Critical Thinking in Sexuality Jazz Silva misconceptions

Agenda Framing the discussion Problems + Solutions Frequently asked questions Feedback

Framing the discussion How do we address the lack of sexual education on campus? What does this conversation cover? What does this conversation not cover?

History of the Project SUSE Survey Results were released September 21st. SUSE Forum was held by the Student Association on October 7th. (300+ Students)

6 Key Problems

Problem 1: Programming is Voluntary Those who need to be a part of the conversation will not voluntarily do so Evident in Women’s Resource Center talks and College workshops. The WRC talk was 91% women.

Problem 2: Adjudication vs. Prevention “prevention should be our goal”

Problem 3: The Discussion is Uncomfortable “we need to talk about topics that might be a little uncomfortable” “people don’t want to talk about [sexual violence] because they feel like outliers in such a positive culture” “you don’t want word getting around in your small community, so you don’t talk about your negative experiences”

Problem 4: Conversation Centered on O-Week “if there’s a baseline of not understanding consent, one presentation won’t change things” “we need at Rice is to be able to talk about it and create a culture that is open to discussion and listening”

Problem 5: Need a More Uniform Education “people coming into Rice have a wide range of experience with sex ed” “important to think about what kind of sexual ed people come in with” “sexual misconduct : we need to understand that it doesn’t only revolve around sex, has to do with unwanted touching, kissing, etc.”

Problem 6: There is no Community Standard “why can’t we have a 30 minute discussion/week on our community values” “should be a continual discussion so that people can remember the discussions and reflect on them”

SOLUTION Mandatory first year Education that focuses on fostering Community Values and Sexual Assault Prevention.

Who was involved and in what capacity? -GSA (Lynn Fahey) -Women’s Resource Center (Cristell Perez) -Strive (Madhuri V. and Madison Blattel) -Wellness (Kate Noonan) -SA Executive Team -SA Senators -Dean Taylor, Hutchinson, and Clack

Tentative Course Logistics 1 Credit Hour Course titled “Critical Thinking in Sexuality” Required during Fall Semester of Freshman Year Taught by Graduate Students in CWGS program

Defining Critical Thinking in Sexuality thinking conceptually about sexuality understanding sexual violence prevention of sexual violence breaking gender stereotypes self-awareness and confidence

4 Most Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ #1: Is there an opt-out? No. Religious Reasons: The desire to not partake in the sexual culture at Rice; does not mean you are excluded from the sexual culture at Rice. This perspective is crucial for the discussion. Conversation will be mature and constructive - not vulgar. Sensitivity training will be given to instructors beforehand. Triggered Students: Currently working with Wellness to ensure safety. Resources available throughout course. Can use syllabus as a warning. Not being sexually active is equally a part of the sexual culture Just by existing, you are a part of the culture

FAQ #2: Why add more required classes? This class is 1 hour a week commitment - 50 minutes Unsatisfactory/Satisfactory Grade No homework assigned Building a better community requires work and investment.

FAQ #3: Will this deter students from attending? Possibly, but this is only one of many factors in enrollment decisions The material in this course is reflective of (existing) community values A healthy, sex-positive community on campus is a positive attribute We need to decide the type of students we want at Rice and the community we want to live in. An equal number of students and parents will be happy that Rice is taking a leading role in sexual assault prevention.

FAQ #4: Why is this not general wellbeing? Wellbeing is an incredibly important issue on campus Class was born out of a result of the SUSE survey and preventing sexual assault. Do not want to create another catch all program. This course obviously addresses issues of wellbeing, but the focus is sexual education. Can serve as a model for future programming.

Moving Forward - Timeline Fall Resolution passed through SA demonstrating student support Moves to the Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum for curriculum development Moves through faculty Senate (Nov. 18) Spring 4. Program Development Summer 5. Graduate Student Training

Discussion

Presenting SB#5 - To Charter the Campus Culture Priorities Working Group Resolution 1: Supporting the Texas Resolution on Climate Change

Campus Appreciation Committee Presentation

Sai: Rice Annual Fund Presentation

Aaron Shi, Ramee Saleh, Sonal Pai, and the Wellbeing Committee RICE, YOU’RE NOT ALONE Aaron Shi, Ramee Saleh, Sonal Pai, and the Wellbeing Committee

WHAT IS “RICE, YOU’RE NOT ALONE? Run by the SA Wellbeing Committee, this Facebook page invites the Rice student body to participate in an ongoing photo campaign to remind our peers that we ARE NOT ALONE.

HOW DID IT START? Finals week last semester Anonymous submissions Turned into Facebook page Posts centered on what’s happening around campus

Announcements A. Campus Clubs Group B. SA Member of the Month….. drum roll! :D

Blessing Falade Student Initiative Leader from Baker College So Student Initiative Leader from Baker College Campus Appreciation!