Organize For Change- Melinda Joy
OVERVIEW
My project began over a year ago, stemming from an informative interview on campus safety then quickly transforming into an all campus dialogue resulting in me engaging in both campus and statewide campaigns. Through these campaigns I have learned a great deal of organizing techniques, coalition building, and have had the privilege of engaging in hundreds of conversations about cultural competency, campus safety, and preventing sexual assault.
I've gained a special skillset when it comes to researching and developing complicated ideas while working on policy reforms. Pulling from these experiences and with the help of the Oregon Student Association I have been developing a Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Tool Kit for student leaders and campus organizers as my Senior Capstone Project. This toolkit utilizes my experience as a student organizer to highlight specific issues surrounding prevention efforts and the concerns therein with promoting policy reform.
My project began over a year ago, stemming from an informative interview on campus safety then quickly transforming into an all campus dialogue resulting in me engaging in both campus and statewide campaigns. Through these campaigns I have learned a great deal of organizing techniques, coalition building, and have had the privilege of engaging in hundreds of conversations about cultural competency, campus safety, and preventing sexual assault.
I've gained a special skillset when it comes to researching and developing complicated ideas while working on policy reforms. Pulling from these experiences and with the help of the Oregon Student Association I have been developing a Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Tool Kit for student leaders and campus organizers as my Senior Capstone Project. This toolkit utilizes my experience as a student organizer to highlight specific issues surrounding prevention efforts and the concerns therein with promoting policy reform.
My Project
In early spring 2014 as part of a community engagement project, I began to research my school's campus sexual assault policy, which found to be a lot easier than I expected. It consisted of few paragraphs in the PSU Student Code of Conduct. It wasn't the easiest to understand, it lacked clear guidelines and expectations for the proceedings of discipline and almost no information for survivor services. After seeing there were no student groups to help implement a reform it seemed my only option would to just to build one myself. The first thing I needed to do was gather some passionate voices from across campus. After gathering a handful of people together we moved forward with the specifics of our organization. We leaned heavily on a handbook provided by the nonprofit Students Active for Ending Rape (or SAFER) to develop a set of guidelines and refine our mission. While some adaptation to our university was necessary the essential information proved to be invaluable.
(Left to right) Andrea Hamberg, Melinda Joy and Cammisha Manley coordinate for the student group, Students Alliance For Ending Rape. The group has worked to promote Susana Ruiz's Title IX petition at PSU. Photo by Jeoffry Ray
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KICK OFF EVENT
Initially the goal was to start a campus wide conversation that shed light on the problem of gender based violence on campus and in our communities. I was also interested in finding support from like-minded individuals on proposed reforms. Utilizing the stage of the park blocks just outside the student union building I set up a day long tabling event focused on raising awareness and education. Highly visible in a well trafficked area I set up posters, survivor support messages and engaged passer-bys in conversation about sexual assault on campus. Holding a magnifying glass up to the issue of sexual assault started the conversation I needed. Through this event we became aware of even more issues facing Portland State University. Photo by Jeoffry Ray
PDX SAFER
Portland Student Alliance for Ending Rape (PDX SAFER) is a coalition of student leaders that believe sexual/gender based violence is a serious public health concern and have rallied together to combat sexual assault from that common ground. By identifying sexual/gender based violence as a public health problem it helps to acknowledge the negative impact on society as a whole. Together we focus on primary prevention efforts (vs risk reduction), health promotion and education (sexual well being), and advocacy. |
SAFER TEACH-IN
In order for us to effectively navigate the legislation of Portland State Policy and its intersection with state and federal policy we it was obvious we needed some help. Luckily some was readily available courtesy of a grant to the aforementioned SAFER organization. This allowed them to send a policy expert to assist the process of understanding the issues so we could effectively come up with solutions. For this we hosted a six hour intensive Teach-in in our library. The Teach-in established a safe space to facilitate a conversation regarding Portland State University's sexual assault policy where information could be collectively analyzed. We learned about common pitfalls and the intersectionality of cultural competency, gender-based violence and rape cutlure. This workshop also helped student leaders from across campus recognize the need for change, identify concrete goals, and begin a movement for reform. Further we were able to build a coalition between SAFER, Students Alliance for Sexual Safety (SASS), The Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU), and Portland State University Student Union (PSUSU). CAMPUS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
The next step we took as an organization was to engage in and promote two campus wide campaigns, the Student Code of Conduct Reform-Preventing Campus Sexual Assault at PSU and Bring Cultural Competency to PSU. In both campaigns a set of detailed recommendations were drafted through various committees and passed as official stances of ASPSU regarding the subject. These efforts are both ongoing and will continue to unfold with the upcoming school year in the hands of the new student electorate. |
(Left to right) Tia Marie Gomez Zeller, Adaku Utah (SAFER of Columbia University, Devon Backstrom, Melinda Joy, Andrea Hamberg and Cammisha Manley .
SAFER LISTENING FORUM
In exchange for the training SAFER asked that we recruit and host a listening forum. We were able to gather between 40 and 50 students from Portland State University, Portland Community College, Lewis & Clark University and Reed College. The purpose of the Listening Forum for SAFER was to hear from students across the country about culture, policy, and activism related to sexual assault on their campuses. For us the listening forum was a great opportunity to identify problems and develop solutions as a community. |
STATE LEGISLATION-TESTIFYING AT THE CAPITOL
Over this last year we were able to see both the campus administration and state legislature take meaningful action in addressing the problem of campus sexual-assault. With the support of the Oregon Student Association,advocates and student leaders across the state three pieces of legislation made it to the state's agenda. House Bill 3308, 3476 and Senate Bill 759 all sought to increase and improve access to services, protect the rights of students, provide accurate and appropriate information while enforcing accountability over institutions responsible. Engaging in and directly affecting the legislative process, I was able to testify in support of all three pieces of legislation. In the 2015 session, two have been signed into Oregon law (HB 3476 and SB 759) by Governor Brown June 11th, 2015 representing major victories for students. |
PSU CULTURAL COMPETENCY CELEBRATION
The Cultural Competency Celebration was an all day event that involved more than 300 faculty, staff, administrations and students. The celebration started with a series of workshops that helped to facilitate some understanding of cultural competency and focused on developing the awareness, knowledge, attitude and skills needed for our PSU community to be successful in an ever growing global society. Tia Marie Gomez Zeller presents her research findings to the PSU Community,Bringing Cultural Competency to PSU: From Theory to Practice-a mixed method pilot study.
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HB 3476| HB 3308 | SB 759
Oregon HB 3476 introduced privileged reporting status which creates a class of reporter who can only report the situation with the appropriate consent from the survivor.
Oregon SB 759 introduces a requirement for any post-secondary institution to provide easily-read information to survivors regarding their rights and the sexual assault reporting process, offer anonymous methods of reporting, and provide trained resources.
Oregon HB 3308 Directs Higher Education Coordinating Commission to convene workgroup to analyze and make recommendations on how to address disparities in higher education among traditionally marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities.
Oregon HB 3476 introduced privileged reporting status which creates a class of reporter who can only report the situation with the appropriate consent from the survivor.
Oregon SB 759 introduces a requirement for any post-secondary institution to provide easily-read information to survivors regarding their rights and the sexual assault reporting process, offer anonymous methods of reporting, and provide trained resources.
Oregon HB 3308 Directs Higher Education Coordinating Commission to convene workgroup to analyze and make recommendations on how to address disparities in higher education among traditionally marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities.
REFLECTION
Through this capstone experience I have found that change is ready to happen, that communities are ready and waiting for someone to bring them together. By engaging those around me on a topic few are willing to discuss I helped to build a new community with the primary focus of preventing campus sexual-assault. Which is to say any one person can change the world because if a problem exists a community exists ready to talk to it, the question is whether we’ve intentionally engaged those communities in a productive dialogue.
Through this capstone experience I have found that change is ready to happen, that communities are ready and waiting for someone to bring them together. By engaging those around me on a topic few are willing to discuss I helped to build a new community with the primary focus of preventing campus sexual-assault. Which is to say any one person can change the world because if a problem exists a community exists ready to talk to it, the question is whether we’ve intentionally engaged those communities in a productive dialogue.