Dear University of Portland Community,
On September 20th, 2017, the Health and Counseling Center (HCC), in partnership with Campus Ministry (CM), planned to hold a listening session to receive recommendations about how these offices could better support the campus community in coping with trauma responses resulting from interpersonal violence and sexual assault. An anonymous survey was also made available for those who may not feel comfortable sharing their feedback in a group setting. The survey is still accessible on HCC and CM websites.
On September 18th, 2017, The Beacon posted an article titled, “Confidential Listening Session for Trauma Victims to be Held Wednesday”. Unfortunately, the article contained some misleading and inaccurate information. As such, the event was postponed in an effort to clarify the purpose of the listening session and promote the safety and emotional welfare of the campus community.
The following information was compiled to correct concerns and reframe the goals of the listening session:
Intended Participants: All University of Portland students are invited to this event, not solely trauma survivors. Interpersonal violence is an issue that affects all of us, and we believe it is harmful to solely place responsibility on survivors to speak out.
Confidentiality: The article indicated that the event would be “completely confidential”. While HCC and CM staff are confidential resources, we are not able to guarantee confidentiality or anonymity at the event. Individuals should know that faculty/staff may attend and are mandatory Title IX reports in their roles at the university.
Trauma Victims: HCC and CM do not identify the survivors of sexual assault or interpersonal violence as “victims”. The words “survivor” and “victim” can have very different meanings. Being a “victim” can imply helplessness and pity, which may not resonate with survivors or accurately represent their experience.
Combined effort of HCC, CM, and Student Against Sexual Assault (SASA): While SASA plays an important role in advocating for consent education and against sexual assault on campus, the student lead group was not involved in the planning or execution of this event.
A place for stories to be heard: HCC and CM acknowledge that a brief, public forum is likely not the ideal setting for survivors of interpersonal violence or sexual assault to process their traumatic experiences. We also know that telling one’s story is not an obligation or requirement to facilitate healing. For this reason, the event is not a forum to process traumatic stories; rather, it is an event intended elicit student recommendations and feedback on how to better support University of Portland students.
The Health and Counseling Center and Campus Ministry are aware that many students have been adversely affected by interpersonal violence and sexual assault. We invite you to come share feedback and recommendations for how we can help you and our community in healing from these traumas. The Listening Session has been rescheduled for September 27th, 2017 at 6:00pm in the Terrace Room (below Bauccio Commons).
Submitted by Rikki Cor, Psy.D., Staci Wade-Hernandez, Psy.D., and Hannah Hoeflich Psy.D. on behalf of the Health and Counseling Center and Campus Ministry.
