By Oct. 31, all members of the Ithaca College staff have to complete an online sexual harassment training course. The course, EduRisk, teaches staff about the legal definition of and, what is considered to be, sexual harassment.
According to Tiffani Ziemann, the college’s Title IX coordinator, sexual harassment training is included in faculty retreats or department meetings to cater to each group. However, the college is looking to expand EduRisk to faculty in the future.
Although the college does not have mandatory sexual harassment training, the Clery Act requires the college to spread awareness and educate the campus community about sexual harassment. The college also includes a section dedicated to sexual harassment in its policy manual, which can be found on ithaca.edu.
EduRisk is open to all campus community members, including students, who wish to complete sexual harassment training by request. Student organizations and sports teams should encourage all members and players to complete sexual harassment training so they can be aware what counts as harassment if they are going to be spending large amounts of time together.
Ziemann said the training is important for the staff because they set an example for students. Students should take initiative and educate themselves about sexual harassment and how to identify it to make the campus a safer place.