Sexual Violence Policy Review – Sample Questions for the Community

General Questions
  • Tell us about current issues and concerns relating to sexual violence on campus at StFX
  • What steps do you think need to happen at StFX to reduce or end sexual violence on campus
  • Tell us about the effectiveness of StFX’s education on consent, reporting services, bystander intervention, and sexual violence prevention?  What feedback would be helpful for us to know in terms of improving education?
  • Are members of the campus community (students/staff/faculty) aware of the supports offered by the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Advocate (SVPRA)?
  • Is the REES helpful?  Can it be more effectively utilized?
  • Do members of the StFX community understand the Sexual Violence Response Policy and process?
  • If you or a friend/colleague experienced sexual violence, would you know what to do or who to contact?
  • If you witnessed sexual violence or received a disclosure, would you know what to do or who to contact?
  • How often are third party disclosures being made? What are the expectations of community members in terms of how the university can respond to third-party disclosures
Residence/Athletics
  • Has there been a change of culture in residence/athletics since 2020?  If so, how?
  • Are there specific issues (cultural, procedural, policy) of which the IRP should be aware relating to residence or athletics?
Barriers to Disclosure or Reporting that relate to the Policy
  • Does the StFX Sexual Violence Response Policy facilitate the disclosure or reporting of sexual violence? If not, why not?
  • Are there policy/procedure specific barriers to reporting that could be better addressed by the policy?
  • Are there policy/procedure specific issues as they relate to specific social locations or social groupings such as residences and athletics, or identities, such as sexual orientation, race, indigeneity, ability, etc.?
  • We understand that the barriers to reporting in general are many, including stigma, shame, trauma, fear of being disbelieved or retraumatized, fear of reprisal or social/community/academic consequences, among others. Please feel free to share how these barriers operate or manifest at StFX.
Immediate measures following a disclosure or report of sexual assault
  • Is the process for obtaining immediate accessible and effective?
  • What immediate measures are used by the University?
  • Do they address complainants’ needs and circumstances?  Are they fair to respondents?
Formal Reports
  • From the perspective of Reporters and Respondents, as well as staff that are responsible for administering the Policy, what aspects of the process for a Formal Report have/haven’t worked well?
  • What is the perspective community members on sanctions/remedies for sexual violence under the Policy?
Other Policy and Procedure Issues
  • Are there policy, procedural or other issues with respect to faculty and staff of which the IRP should be aware? How has the prohibition/regulation of sexual activity between students and staff/faculty been implemented? Do faculty and staff find the SVPRA an accessible resource
  • Are faculty/staff adequately trained in receiving and responding to disclosures?
  • There is no mandatory reporting of disclosures of sexual violence by students to faculty/staff under the Policy  – what are community members’ perspectives on this?
  • We understand there has been some discussion about using the terms “gender-based violence” and “intimate partner violence” in the Policy.  Please describe the specific types of conduct/harm that community members’ understand are not captured by the Policy that they think should be.