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About Consent Comes First

What We Do

Consent Comes First provides support to Ryerson community members (students, staff, faculty, alumni) affected by sexual violence. You can access support if the sexual violence happened on or off-campus, or if you were subjected to sexual violence before you came to Ryerson. 

We also work with the community on campaigns, programming and policy. 

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Supports
  • Referrals to counselling and medical services
  • safety planning
  • academic considerations and workplace accommodations
  • self-care resources
  • advocacy
  • navigating resources
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Education

Deliver education, prevention, training and awareness activities with campus partners.

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Reporting and complaints

Assistance in making an informed decision about next steps should an individual choose to report to authorities within the university or to the police.

Statistics

Maintain non-identifying annual data on disclosures and reports of sexual violence on campus.

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Information

Provide up-to-date community resource information.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is essential in making you feel safe when seeking support. Before you disclose, you have the right to ask the person about the level of confidentiality. Learn more about Confidentiality.

Our Mission Statement

Consent Comes First (CCF) is committed to fostering a campus where consent comes first. We work as a team to support people affected by sexual violence, including those who have directly harmed and those supporting them. We offer trainings, policy work, and education campaigns for the broader Ryerson community.

Our Principles

  • We believe that everyone who accesses the office is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.
  • We believe that everyone who accesses service has skills and strengths for survival, resistance, transformation and autonomy.
  • We affirm and respect that individuals are the experts of their own lives and support self-determination.
  • We acknowledge that acts of sexual violence are linked to acts of systematic oppression, including but not limited to sexism, racism, colonialism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia.
  • We work from a pro-choice, feminist, anti-racist framework in which the service user and service providers will work collaboratively.
  • We understand our work is connected to the larger movements to end gender based violence and will work with community partners both on and off campus
  • We recognize that hurt people can hurt others and have the right to heal.
  • We believe that while harm caused cannot be erased, accountability, justice and healing are possible through more than one path.
  • We ensure that we work with service users to support and promote informed decision making.
  • We believe service users have the right to ask questions and provide feedback.
  • We acknowledge that as people, we are always learning, which is how we grow and do better work.

Advisory Committees

The Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education consults two key advisory committees to ensure community accountability and feedback on our activities, programs and services.

Student, staff and faculty representatives from various communities across the Ryerson campus

Vice-President, Internal, CESAR

Student Conduct Officer

Human Resources Consulting & Special Projects

Professor

Sexual Assault Student Support Line Coordinator

Centre for Women and Trans People, Ryerson Students’ Union

Director, Office of the Vice-Provost Faculty Affairs

Counsellor, Centre for Student Development & Counselling

Public Affairs

Vice-President, Equity, Ryerson Students’ Union

Director, Violence Risk Management Office

Vice-Provost, Students

Coordinator, Student Life Programs

Vice-President, Equity, Community and Inclusion

Assitant Vice-President, Human Resources

Equity & Campaigns Organizer, Ryerson Students’ Union

Residence Life & Education Coordinator

Director, Human Rights Services

Chaired by Farrah Khan, Manager Consent Comes First 

Waves is a advisory committee of the Consent Comes First Office comprised of Ryerson students who self-identify as survivors of sexual violence. We provide a space where survivors can be heard about issues related to sexual violence on campus. Members Waves provide critical feedback on current sexual violence policies, programming, training and awareness raising initiatives.  Our hope is to make Ryerson a safer space for survivors. 

To participate on this committee, please complete and submit this confidential google formWaves Committee Application, external link. To respect your privacy and boundaries please DO NOT disclose any details about the violence that has occurred. We want to know about what you want to do and what you are interested in. We believe you.

Our Team

Ryerson Sexual Violence Policy

Ryerson’s policy on sexual violence was approved by the Board of Governors in June 2015. The single policy was one of 18 recommendations made to the Provost after extensive consultations with the community and a review of the university’s practices, protocols and policies related to sexual violence.

          Full version of the Ryerson Sexual Violence Policy, opens in new window