Sexual Violence, Alcohol & Drug Prevention
As part of our efforts to maintain a safe campus community and promote a culture of respect and understanding, OFTC and TCSG have partnered with Get Inclusive to provide education for students on topics such as sexual assault prevention and alcohol abuse prevention, by encouraging healthy decision making and help-seeking behaviors. Get Inclusive’s “Voices for Change” series is a comprehensive online learning experience that includes modules on several topic areas to help students become engaged bystanders equipped with the ability to identify harmful situations, as well as the motivation and skills needed to intervene.
One of the modules, Voices for Change – Consent, Alcohol and Hazing, is a mandatory component of OFTC’s COLL1060 course (Introduction to College & Computers). This module and the other Get Inclusive modules in the Voices for Change series are available to all students at OFTC anytime, at no charge. Students should contact the Office of Student Life at 478-240-5162 or studentlife@oftc.edu for more information or to request confidential access to any of the Get Inclusive modules. Please note that access to Consent, Alcohol and Hazing will be set up automatically for students enrolled in COLL1060, with log-in information provided via email 2-3 weeks after the term begins. These students will only need to request access for any additional modules they would like to view.
Voices for Change – Consent, Alcohol and Hazing addresses themes around sexual or relationship violence, including topics such as consent, sexual harassment, stalking and other problematic behaviors. Encouraging self-reflection, this interactive module provides education on recognizing warning signs of abusive behavior, risk reduction techniques, and positive options for bystander intervention, and helps students understand that sexual violence is about power and control and that to make change, people must not only intervene on an interpersonal level, but also with the culture that perpetuates it. An important component of this module is a list of resources and links for students which includes information on OFTC’s student code of conduct as well as a link to the state of Georgia statutes regarding relationship and sexual violence. This module also addresses issues around alcohol and drug use, as well as hazing and intimidation. The topic of alcohol and drug use is further explored in a separate module.
Voices for Change – Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) challenges learners to consider the impacts of alcohol and drugs, the way they play out in social settings, and how to set boundaries for themselves around their own substance usage. Learners will be offered interactive scenarios to intervene in situations where others are being unsafe and have time to reflect on which options feel best to them in given situations. By the end, they’ll have back-pocket tactics to take care of themselves as well as skills to intervene in harmful situations impacting others.
Voices for Change – Identities & Inclusion helps learners understand the role that stereotyping, biases, and microaggressions play in our daily interactions, and encourages self-reflection to recognize how these concepts affect their own actions and
beliefs, as well as strategize ways to become more inclusive going forward. By understanding the impact of their actions, students will build motivation to intervene in situations of bias. By the end of this module, learners will have a deeper understanding of social identities, as well as concepts like implicit bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions. Students will learn how to play a role in creating a safe and inclusive environment for our friends, peers, and classmates.
Mental Health & Well-Being, though not part of the Voices for Change series, is one of Get Inclusive’s flagship courses and is also available at no charge to all OFTC students. Recognizing that the key to student well-being is ensuring students get help when they need it, and that changing minds changes behaviors, Get Inclusive has designed a student mental health training course that focuses on encouraging students to question their beliefs, trust their instincts, and recognize red flags so that they’ll be ready to take a proactive approach to mental health and wellness. In part one of the course, learners are invited to “unlearn” assumptions about illness, wellness, and the shame associated with negative stereotypes and discrimination. Key areas of instruction and investigation include exploring mental illness stigma, social and cultural biases, and the diversity of individual lived experiences relating to needing and getting help. In part two, students get an opportunity to explore important strategies, scripts, sources, and self-care practices that will help them get the help they need and/or offer assistance and support to their friends, peers, and community.