Awareness training on campus

PETSA, our mandatory online tutorial for students. PETSA, stands for Personal Empowerment Through Self Awareness. The tutorial was developed by students, faculty and staff in summer 2012 and went online in fall 2012. This online tutorial features seven videos and a quiz and is required for all new students on campus. In fall 2012, the president mandated that all students answer 100% of questions on the quiz correctly before they could register for the spring semester. By March, almost 14,000 students had completed PETSA. Now, all new students to campus must take the PETSA tutorial and quiz in their first semester here before they can register for their next semester of classes.

For the first semester that we required the PETSA tutorial, UM employees staffed a face-to-face discussion room daily during the first three weeks of school. They were available to answer student questions via phone, email or face-to-face meetings, and offered support for students who had concerns about the content of the tutorial.

Other universities are now looking to UM as a model for how to create this important learning tool.

Employee training. Since spring 2012, UM has held more than 30 training and professional development sessions for faculty and staff about sexual harassment and Title IX obligations. We are developing a special program for all faculty and staff, similar to PETSA. In addition, four UM faculty members involved with the University Council on Student Assault traveled to Birmingham, Alabama in fall 2012 to participate in a training sponsored by the Office of Violence Against Women.

Residence Life staff training. In the summer of 2012, all staff in the Residence Life Department (including student staff members) had access to 11 sessions on topics related to sexual assault. They covered mandatory reporting requirements, how to be a first responder, domestic violence, bystander intervention, campus resources, and understanding sexual harassment and sexual assault as forms of prohibited discrimination. More training sessions are planned for Spring Semester 2013.

Additional training for our students. During the Fall Semester 2012, Residence Life together with the Student Assault Resource Center held 13 workshops for students living on campus. The workshops focused on bystander intervention and information about sexual assault prevention.