McGill University launches mandatory online sexual violence prevention courses

McGill University is incorporating a mandatory online sexual violence education program for the school’s entire community.

The new course is a response to Quebec’s requirement to adopt a sexual violence policy by September 1, 2019.

The law countering sexual violence on campus was passed in 2017 after a series of sexual assault cases were reported by students at Quebec City’s Université Laval.

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New students will have to complete the course before the upcoming 2019 school year. Returning students will have to complete the course, McGill University’s Sexual Violence Education Program, by November 2019.

Students who fail to complete the course will not be able to register for classes the following semester.

Staff members and faculty throughout the entire McGill community will have until January 2020 to complete the mandatory online course.

“Ensuring that our campuses are safe, respectful, and inclusive is fundamental for our university,” says Suzanne Fortier, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University . “This includes striving to create an environment free from sexual violence. Reaching this goal require that each of us commit to it as part of being a member of this community. This training is required learning for each one of us, including myself.”

McGill University

The training course will teach the McGill community about the meaning, prevalence, and impact of sexual violence as well as the importance of consent and how to safely intervene to prevent sexual violence and support survivors who have disclosed their experiences.

Since the subject may be difficult, students will be welcome to complete the course “at their own pace,” according to the “It Takes All of Us” introductory course video.

The program is accessible on McGill’s “myCourses” online Learning Management System. For access, students are asked to login to “myCourses” using their McGill credentials and click “View All Courses.”