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As faculty and staff, you can have a large role in creating a safe educational environment. Consider the following suggestions to help make your classroom or office a safer, more welcoming environment for not only survivors, but all students.  

• Understand sexual assault and violence as a cultural problem. Within our culture, there are many popular narratives of sexual violence that place blame on victims and claim the actions they took led to their own victimization. Remember that no matter the victim's actions, the decision to violate and harm another was made by the perpetrator.  
• Attend events and engage with the campus. Various student groups on campus, including Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators, sponsor talks surrounding issues of sexual violence. Be aware of aspects of campus and Northwestern culture which continue to, implicitly and explicitly, permit sexual violence. 
• Know the definitions of consent, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation at Northwestern. 
• Include a statement in your syllabus that addresses how students can report sexual misconduct and faculty and staff reporting obligations.  
  • One example of this might look like: “¾Ã²Ý³ÉÈËÔÚÏß is committed to fostering an environment where students are safe and free from sexual misconduct. Confidential resources are available to those who have experienced sexual misconduct and are listed here: /sexual-misconduct/assistance-support/confidential-support.html. Aside from the resources listed here, faculty and staff are not confidential resources and are required to report incidents of sexual misconduct to the Office of Civil Rights, which can provide information about resources and options. I encourage students who have experienced sexual misconduct to talk with someone to get support. .
• Include content warnings, also known as trigger warnings, when teaching course material that may be distressing to students who have experienced sexual misconduct. This gives students and survivors important information about content and allows them autonomy in deciding how they engage with the material. We have linked some articles below that may be helpful in understanding and implementing content warnings.  
  • by Kate Manne 
  • by Julie A. Winterich 
  • by Aaron R. Hanlon 
  • Warnings: What Pundits Don’t Understand ¾Ã²Ý³ÉÈËÔÚÏß This Year’s Most Controversial Higher-Ed Debate” by Sarah Seltzer 
• Encourage students and other faculty and staff to engage with the issue of interpersonal violence. Use your particular expertise to sit on panels, shape policy, do research, and create material for presentations. 
• Set a positive example by not making sexual jokes or engaging in inappropriate comments or behavior. Respect boundaries, and do not ignore unwelcome comments or behavior by others. 
• Do not ignore instances, in student interactions or course material, which may make your classroom uncomfortable. Some of these situations may call for bystander intervention; learn more about strategies from our Bystander Intervention programming.  
• Invite CSAW or SHAPE to present in your classroom, as appropriate. 
• Display CSAW materials in your office to show that you are available as a resource for your students, and have materials available for them to take. Some CSAW materials are available to download including posters and handouts; furhter materials can be requested at csaw@northwestern.edu. 
• Take an interest in the lives of students outside academics or extracurricular settings by noticing when students start struggling in class, stop showing up to class, or always seem tired or disengaged. Check in with the student about whether stressors are presenting themselves outside of class. 
• Know your role as a “link” to resources for the student. You may not be trained as a sexual violence expert or advocate, but you can connect a student to these resources. It is important to be aware of confidential resources and reporting options, as well as to understand what the process of reporting is like for the student.  

Your response to a disclosure can have a lasting effect on a student, but you do not have to be an expert to compassionately respond to a student’s disclosure of sexual misconduct. 

• Assess the student’s level of safety, starting by simply asking if they feel safe. Ask if they have a safe place to stay, someone to talk to who can support them, and if they are having thoughts that could put them in immediate danger. If the student feels threatened or in physical danger from themselves or others, make sure the student is connected with CAPS, University Police, or other emergency resources as appropriate. 

• Know your reporting obligations, and gently inform students of your obligations as a responsible employee if you sense that students may want to disclose their experience of sexual misconduct with you. Here is one example of what you might want to say. 

• "I appreciate you sharing with me and I want to hear everything you want to tell me. I just need you to know that as an NU employee I must report matters of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (OCR). They will reach out to you, but it is your choice what you share – you are not obligated to respond or engage with OCR. I can give you other resources, including people on campus who must maintain confidentiality. I would love to hear more about your experience/the incident if you want to tell me." 

• If the student chooses to continue speaking with you, respond to them with compassion and validation. Phrases like “I believe you,” “you’re not alone,” and “you have options” are often helpful for survivors to hear.  

• Do not probe the student or ask “why” questions. It is not your responsibility to investigate the misconduct.  

• Do not try to label the experience for the student. Instead mirror their language – for example, if they refer to a “weird experience” that you would define as a sexual assault, continue to use the word “experience” as that is how the student is describing it as this time. 

• Hold space for the emotions and needs of the student, and try to refrain from outward or intense expressions of anger, sadness, etc. It is okay and normal to experience a range of emotions, and remember that there are resources available to support you as well.  

• If a disclosure occurs in the student’s writing or an assignment, reach out to express concern and explain your reporting obligations, similarly to how you would respond to an in-person disclosure.  

• Offer flexibility and understanding around class deadlines and extensions as available and appropriate. 

• Do not make promises you may not be able to keep, such as assuring the student the person who harmed them will be held responsible. 

• Establish boundaries with the student, and make sure they understand your role as a faculty/staff member. Refer the student to other resources, such as CSAW, that are able to serve in a more supportive role. 

All faculty and staff, except for those identified as confidential resources, are responsible employees and are required to file a report when they become aware of discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, relationship violence, or stalking.  

• Make a report to the Office of Civil Rights. 

• Beyond the report to the Office of Civil Rights, keep your conversation with the student private.  

• Check in with the student to make sure they are doing alright, or are seeking support through other resources. An email might look like: “I was thinking about our talk the other day. How are you doing?” 

• Do not try to take matters into your own hands or investigate the incident further.  

• Do access confidential resources if you are having difficulty processing the disclosure. Many community organizations that support survivors of sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking also offer support for friends, family, partners, and other community members impacted. Visit our support resources page for resources specific to sexual misconduct, and utilize the mental health resources available for faculty and .  

If you have questions on how to support a student, please contact CSAW. If you would like to learn more about how to support survivors, request a training from CSAW.