Transcript Understanding Privilege - Maine Maritime Academy

Understanding Privilege:
Creating Safe Zone and
Bystander Training
Programs
THAT CAN WORK AT A SMA
Agenda

Initial approach to launching Bystander Intervention and Safe Zone Ally
programs and lessons learned.

Rationale for understanding campus-wide, focused training on privilege
and culture change.
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Overview of revised training plan
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Sharing of resources
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Audience discussion of SMA campus climate challenges and opportunities
and successful programs.
Introductions
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Elizabeth True, VP for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Title
IX Coordinator [email protected]
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Amanda Nguyen, Interim Director of Residential Life and Student Services
[email protected]
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Hannah Chisholm ‘16

John Amendola ‘15
Outcomes
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Broader understanding of how campus culture affects students’ ability to
engage in training on diversity topics
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Sharing of best practices
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Opportunity for staff at SMAs to collaborate across campuses to facilitate
better training for students
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Reminder that we are ALWAYS learning
Maine Maritime Academy Culture
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Male majority in student body
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Fear of raising women’s issues and being treated differently
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Lack of traditional student activities
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Lack of racial diversity/remote area
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Comparative lack of awareness of cultural sensitivity issues
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Regimental culture
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Hypothesis – more conservative student body? Accurate or not?
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Paternalistic/big brother mentality
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“I don’t see color (gender, sexual orientation)”
Student Affairs Assumptions
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Students understood the concept of privilege and accepted their own
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Students had prior experience with diversity/sensitivity training
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MMA Students held more conservative opinions on diversity issues than
would be expected in a college population
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Women and students from other underrepresented groups were
comfortable challenging prejudicial treatment
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Male students understood the challenges for women on a majority male
campus
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We were wrong on ALL counts!
Trying to fit a round peg into a square
hole
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Adapting programs from more traditional campuses without considering
the unique campus culture of MMA
Bystander Training
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Title IX requirements
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Focus on bystander effect
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Use of video
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Lessons learned:
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Began with discussion about status of women in the maritime industry
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Focusing on details such as overemphasis on consent scenarios, alcohol
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Making men feel defensive that all are potential predators
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Unreasonable assumption about the frequency that women lie about rape for
revenge
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Didn’t personalize it enough for MMA experience
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Didn’t connect to honor code
Safe Zone Ally Training
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Required for Ras/voluntary for rest of community
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Explored how identifying as LGBT is more challenging on the MMA campus
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Lessons Learned
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Either fully address role of religious beliefs in issue of homophobia or don’t
explore it at all
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Explain the training/Safe Zone concept better and broader marketing
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Avoid generalizations and judgment based on assumptions
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Adaptations for future – incorporating student staff feedback
Privilege and Culture Change
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PRIVILEGE – Define
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Connection between privilege and extreme majority/minority population
imbalance
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Lack of critical mass
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Lack of understanding or acknowledgment of majority privilege
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Examples of privilege and “ism” on MMA campus:
New approaches
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Diversity training re privilege
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Engagement of student leaders in planning
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Gender expectations and communications - Haven and Sex Signals
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Connecting to the Honor Code – bystander intervention strategies
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Respect the Anchor campaign
Diversity training
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Cultural competency
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Grasping the concept of majority privilege
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Understanding how privilege and assumptions lead to exclusion
Student Leader Engagement
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Understanding Campus Climate
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Meaningful conversations about what didn’t work – and adapting the
training as a result of the feedback
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Seeking direction – what “ism” to tackle first
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Leadership Council
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Feedback – what works?
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Peer – led training
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Focus on the positive – the benefits of being part of an honor community
Gender Expectations and
Communications
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Going deeper than bystander intervention to campus climate issues –
reconsidering masculinity, expectations – what kind of community do you
want to be part of?
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Looking at men as allies and bystanders, not predators
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Fully exploring consent
Honor Code
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Connecting bystander intervention and Safe Zone ally training to the
Honor Code and values of the MMA community
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Focusing on the values and expectations of the code
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We don’t treat people “that way” in our community
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We look out for each other
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We hold each other accountable to the code
Respect the Anchor
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Orientation theme
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Respecting yourself
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Respecting each other
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Respecting the institution
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Respecting the community
Slogan picked up by athletics to convey higher expectations of behavior
among Mariners
Diversity Resources
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DJ Smooth videos
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Consent videos
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Bystander training resources
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Sex Signals www.catharsisproductions.com
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Step Up stepupprogram.org
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On-line Bystander training for USNA
http://www.catharsisproductions.com/online_training_demo.php
Safe Zone training manual
Collaboration
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Idea sharing from other campuses