New Sexual Respect Education Program, Research Initiative at Columbia University COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

New Sexual Respect Education Program, Research Initiative at Columbia University COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Im sure some of you have read the news this year related to sexual assault on university campuses across the country. So I feel its important to share with all of you a new awareness  initiative on campus requiring all Columbia students to participate in new programming as part of their degree requirements (from workshops and films to group reflections and panel discussions). As  SIPA Dean Merit E. Janow put it, Columbia University is undertaking a major initiative to explore the ethics around sexual respect, one that encourages everyone to reflect on what it means to be a citizen of our Columbia community. At Columbia and around the country, issues around sexual assault and harassment, dating and intimate partner violence, and stalking are being examined in robust and challenging ways. Columbia University and SIPA are committed to maintaining a safe environment for all students, and  fostering an open dialogue and various educational opportunities. There are several policy implications with these issues, and this degree requirement is another way for our Seeple to mature and gain a vantage point that will help nurture their future endeavors. But this learning opportunity doesnt stop there. In conjunction with this new requirement, today, Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger announced the launch of a major research project focused on sexual assault prevention. Below is his email  in its entirety: Dear fellow members of the Columbia community: I am writing to announce the launch of a major research initiative at Columbia to advance prevention of sexual violence. The study, the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation, or “SHIFT,” will be led by Jennifer S. Hirsch, Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, and Claude Ann Mellins, Professor of Medical Psychology in the Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health in the Department of Psychiatry at the University Medical Center. As we work to address gender-based misconduct, our highest priority remains to prevent sexual violence before it occurs. But to do this most effectively, we need to help remedy what is a national deficit in evidence-based information relevant to creating the most effective prevention programs and policies. This study, focused on undergraduate life at Columbia, also will consider more broadly what can be done to promote healthy relationships and identify important risk factors that must be addressed in order t o establish a safer and more protective environment. Professors Hirsch and Mellins will be joined in their work by a research team involving a diverse group of faculty with expertise in gender, sexual health, sexual violence, young adult development, mental health, and the use of research to develop programs and policies directed at behavioral change. In addition, to account for the diverse experiences and perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators, they will consult regularly with the study’s Student and Institutional Advisory Boards. We are fortunate to be able to assemble these intellectual resources from our own community and to have the leadership of Professors Hirsch and Mellins, who possess a mix of intellectual acuity and energy for the project that, undoubtedly, will allow this initiative to make a substantial contribution to preventing sexual violence at Columbia and on campuses across the nation. Sincerely, Lee C. Bollinger   If youre interested in learning more about Columbia Universitys sexual respect initiative, click here.