Colleges across the country are starting back up. That means a lot of people are alone for the first time and are adjusting to a different life. Their college of choice is supposed to be a place they can learn and ask questions so they can grow as a person.
Rochester Institute of Technology or RIT missed that memo when discussing sexual assault with their students. They talked about this sensitive topic while also citing a children’s cartoon character. It is a head scratcher that has left many on the campus dumbfounded.
https://twitter.com/BunLordPeachum/status/900867985073745924
An administrator addressed the presentation in a statement and may have made the school look even worse than they did before.
The format of the program was more of a “straight talk” approach, weaving in humor along with important facts and identifying resources for students. The overarching goal was to increase awareness and promote discussion about the ways we together can prevent instances of sexual misconduct on our campus. Unfortunately, one slide, out of 77, taken out of context, has sparked controversy, mainly on social media surrounding the entire program. In my opinion, this serves to underscore the complexity involved in addressing this issue. In our experience, telling students what “not to do” without talking about specific situations that are difficult to navigate is irresponsible; we addressed the subject from a place and context that students could understand.
Using a character from a children’s book is putting it in a context that students could understand? That isn’t dumbing it down, that is just plain rude. The advice is additionally questionable and should embarrass everyone involved.
Not the best way to start a semester.
