January 15, 2019
To: All Students
From: Michele Rasmussen, Dean of Students in the University, and Bridget Collier, Assistant Provost for Equal Opportunity Programs and Title IX Coordinator for the University
Subject: New Bystander Intervention Program
Date: January 15, 2019
The University of Chicago has long been committed to taking the necessary steps to prevent and address sexual misconduct in our community, maintaining a campus environment that is safe and welcoming for everyone, and providing a setting where students thrive personally and academically.
To further intervention and campus-wide advocacy, in Winter Quarter the Office for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Support, inclusive of the Resources for Sexual Violence Prevention Programming Center, will launch Bringing in the Bystander, a nationally recognized evidence-based and highly interactive program that, building upon previous bystander intervention trainings we have conducted, teaches a community responsibility approach to safely intervene in situations that involve, or are at risk for, sexual violence. The program also helps bystanders build transferrable skills to intervene in other concerning situations, including those involving alcohol, drugs, mental health concerns, and other forms of discriminatory harassment.
We encourage all students, including graduate and professional students, to participate in a Bringing in the Bystander open-campus workshop hosted by Peer Educators in the Resources for Sexual Violence Prevention Programming Center. Information about the workshops is available here. If you would like to have a workshop hosted for a specific group, community, Registered Student Organization, or academic department, you can make such a request here.
For any questions you may have about the Bringing in the Bystander program, please contact Vickie Sides, Associate Director of Prevention Initiatives and Programming, Office for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Support.