Community Citizenship Initiative

Sexual respect is the commitment to communicating and acting in interpersonal relationships with integrity and respect for others, and to each of us doing what we can to create an environment where sexual and gender-based misconduct are not tolerated.

In addition, it is a component of the Community Citizenship Initiative, which asks all students to promote a campus culture that unequivocally rejects sexual harassment, sexual assault and other forms of gender-based misconduct or violence.

Students, faculty, and administrators from across Columbia collaborated to create the Community Citizenship Initiative. It is updated annually to incorporate student feedback and ensure continuous improvement and relevance.

CCI was created to ensure students have the language, skills, and awareness to reinforce our core community values.

Yes, all students are welcome to participate. New students are automatically enrolled, but if you’re not new to your school and want to participate, please email [email protected].

You’ll receive a confirmation email upon completion. Please note: Depending on which option you choose, the confirmation email may take up to two business days.

Disability Services can provide accommodations for students registered with their office. If you need disability accommodations, please send your request to [email protected]. Please allow at least five days to arrange for sign language interpreters or CART services.

Yes—perhaps you even disagreed with some of what was presented! That’s perfectly fine, too. The goal of this initiative isn’t that we all agree, but rather that we learn how to listen, consider the points of view and experiences of those who are different from us, and think about what kind of community we want to be a part of. These skills help us to engage in robust conversations with others about those ideas.

If you haven’t already begun to think about your perspective on these issues, it's a good idea to begin now. This Initiative is meant to help you start—or continue—on that journey.

• Active Listening: Active listening is about learning, not debating. Open-ended questions, offering one’s full attention and not interrupting are key ways to engage. The point isn’t to necessarily agree, but to understand why someone thinks the way they do. This can lead to more productive conversations — where you and your conversation partner feel heard, where learning has happened and solutions are more easily identified. Listening skills are a key component of successful interpersonal communications and essential to building inclusive communities.
   
• Awareness building: Columbia is a diverse community—in your time here, you’ll meet people with different identities, backgrounds, and experiences and you may be curious to know about those who are different from you. You might want to watch films, read books, or use the internet to learn about new or unfamiliar cultures and identities. As you think about asking classmates about their identities, keep in mind that not everyone feels comfortable answering difficult or sensitive questions about themselves. Finding common ground—talking about classes, interests, and activities—can be a good way to build trust and friendship before engaging in more sensitive topics. However, even after building trust, people may still be uncomfortable sharing information about their experiences and/or identities. It’s important to respect boundaries and find other ways to get the information you seek (e.g. books, films, classes, etc.) and CCI provides a great place for you to start.
   
• Interrupting exclusion: Have you ever been in a situation where you heard someone telling a joke or story about a group of people and their identity that may have been intended to be funny but was instead hurtful or offensive to you or someone else in the room? Learning how to intervene in these situations is an important life skill. In your role as an active partner in promoting inclusion at Columbia, it’s important to address moments when people may be communicating or behaving in a way that excludes others—whether it’s through a hurtful joke, a comment that stereotypes a population, or assumptions about someone based on their identity(ies). When you see problematic behavior, it’s important to find ways to interrupt it.
   
• Self-care and apologies: Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we are the ones who make offensive or problematic comments. Everyone makes mistakes. When this happens, it’s best to apologize and listen to learn how your comment impacted others. It’s important to take a step back, without defensiveness, to learn from the experience and be compassionate with others and ourselves. The process of self-reflection is a lifelong endeavor, and there will be moments of growth for all of us throughout our lives.

It’s great that you’re asking this question. We hope that the insights you gained through your participation stay with you well beyond your time at Columbia. After your participation, you can apply these concepts by:

• Actively seeking out opportunities to learn more (read books and articles and attend events)
• Having conversations with your peers, family members and other community members
• Getting involved in community efforts
• Becoming an active listener
• Building a supportive network

Starting an organization within your school or through the Interschool Governing Board.

Yes. Bias incidents can be reported through the University’s bias reporting process. For more information about where and how to report bias, please contact your school’s Dean of Students.

Write to [email protected].