Syracuse University has launched a new campaign to help students understand what sexual consent is.

The “Got Consent? Be S.U.R.E.” campaign officially launched at SU last week and held one of its first events “Beat the Blame Game,” an interactive program about sexual assault, on Monday in Schine Underground. The campaign promotes the idea to be “Be S.U.R.E.” which stands for shared understanding, respect and enthusiasm before engaging in any sexual activity with another person.

Though the “Got Consent?” program has been at SU for years, it has been re-launched this year. The campaign is a combined effort among the Office of Health Promotion, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Association, the Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team and the Office of Student Assistance.

The idea for “Be S.U.R.E.” was developed “to help students understand what consent is, what it isn’t, why you need it and how to ask for it,” said Katelyn Cowen, director of the Office of Health Promotion.

Currently, volunteers involved with the campaign have been in the Schine Student Center promoting the cause, said Eric Nestor, associate director for the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The Panhellenic Council will also be helping to promote the campaign in the coming weeks, and more events like this will occur in coming months.

Officials from the collaborating groups said Hill Communications, a student-run public relations firm at the S.I Newhouse School of Public Communications, has also partnered with the campaign. The students involved at Hill Communications helped to develop the new slogan, “Got Consent? Be SU.R.E.”

Nestor said he believes SU provides a great platform to begin conversations and start programs that encourage students to ask for consent when engaging in sexual activities.

“It is important that we work to get students talking about consent, understanding what consent actually means and understanding everything that it includes,” Nestor said. “Discussing issues related to consent and sexual violence will be occurring throughout the academic year. Hopefully, the more students we can engage, the more students talk to each other about it.”

Sexual consent is becoming a growing conversation on college campuses. While some students may be aware of the idea of sexual consent, aspects of what define consent are changing. The need to inform students about how to determine what qualifies as consent is more present than ever, Cowen said.

“There are myths and misperceptions about what consent is and knowing when you have it.  It is incredibly important to understand consent, because initiating sexual activity without first obtaining consent is a crime and violation of the code of student conduct,” Cowen said. “It is each person’s responsibility to be sure they obtain consent before initiating any sexual activity.”

Cowen added that “Got Consent?” will begin to slowly integrate itself into campus and become more actively promoted, especially during the spring semester.

Jill Sneider, the sexual and relationship violence prevention coordinator in the Office of Health Promotion, said she believes that campus-wide, the interpretation of what truly defines consent needs to be expanded.

“The campaign, therefore is designed to saturate this campus community with a variety of opportunities for students, faculty and staff to broaden their awareness and understanding of what sexual consent actually entails,” Sneider said.

Published on November 4, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Chelsea: cmportne@syr.edu