By Morgan Descoteau, MCASA Program Intern
Even though this Fall looks a little different, MCASA is still working hard to educate and raise awareness about sexual violence. In early September, we launched our Virtual Campus Training series, which will replace our Regional Campus Training series this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This series will span the entire 2020-2021 academic year with one webinar a month, excluding December. Topics of these webinars include Sexual Assault Prevention at a Distance, Title IX and its Interaction with Maryland Law, Legal Options for Student Survivors, Neurobiology of Trauma, Serving and Supporting Student Survivors from Underserved Populations, and Planning for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Our first session in the series was Preventing Sexual Assault on College Campuses: The Authors of Sexual Citizens in Conversation with MCASA. One of the authors of the book Sexual Citizens, Jennifer S. Hirsch, was interviewed and presented a new perspective on campus sexual violence based on her research at Columbia University. Hirsch focused on the social climate that makes sexual assault a predictable element of life on college campuses as well as introducing new concepts such as sexual projects, sexual citizenship, and sexual geographies. The next webinar, Planning for Prevention at a Distance, focused on sexual assault prevention education curriculum, the use of social media to engage communities, and how certain risk factors might be exacerbated during the pandemic.
Our third session of the series, Title IX and Trauma Informed Investigations, takes place on November 18, 2020. This session features a presentation by MCASA and SALI's College and Prevention Policy Attorney on Title IX and its intersection with Maryland Law, and guest speakers on Trauma-Informed Investigations. Interested participants for this webinar can register here: Title IX and Trauma Informed Investigations. Anyone interested in information on the Virtual Campus Training Series as a whole or looking for more information about a specific session can find it on MCASA’s website, or contact us at 301-328-7023 or [email protected].
