With Executive Order 1095 becoming effective, CSUSM now requires all students to partake in a training program that informs and spreads awareness of sexual harassment on college campuses.

The Executive Order covers sexual discrimination, violence and harassment. After the orderwas made effective, CSUSM made the Not Anymore: Sexual Violence Training mandatory for all students.  

Consent, a primary concept involved in the training, is defined in the Executive Order, which also outlines the condition under which an individual is deemed capable of giving consent. Regarding sexual harassment, the order defines consent as “an informed, affirmative, conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity.”

“We are dedicated to ensure all students are educated about these issues along with the resources, rights and options available to them, in order to keep our students and campus community safe and encourage students to say/do something if they see a concerning or potentially concerning situation,” said Melissa Swartz, Student Equity and Compliance Manager.

The training focuses heavily on spreading awareness to all people involved in college campus communities.

“There is a call for increased action to combat sexual violence on college campuses across the nation, and it resounds from advocacy groups, student groups and lawmakers at the state and federal levels,” said Swartz.

Primary goals of the training are to spread awareness of sexual violence, encourage students to implement bystander intervention techniques and help those who find themselves in threatening or uncomfortable situations.

Another goal of the sexual violence training is to inform students about the campus and community resources that can offer help.

“It is important for students to know that they have confidential reporting options in our Student Health and Counseling Center and through Christa Wencl, our Sexual Violence

Advocate and Educator. We hope to create a culture of support for survivors of sexual violence,” Swartz said.

As a result of the mandatory training, it is hopeful that cases of sexual harassment will decrease on our campus.

It is important to note that, for students who struggle to complete the training due to the sensitivity of the topic, there are alternative methods to taking part in the training.

Not Anymore: Sexual Violence Training as a mandatory aspect of student life at CSUSM will spread awareness of the topic of sexual harassment on college campuses. Through this training, students on our campus will become informed about how to handle threatening situations and learn how to help not only themselves, but fellow students as well.