About Consent Comes First
Consent Comes First (CCF) provides free, confidential, trauma-informed, healing-centred support to Ryerson community members affected by sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence. We create opportunities for people affected by violence to cultivate safety, healing and leadership on their own terms. Together with campus partners and the broader community, CCF provides education, programming and advocacy to foster a world free from gender-based violence.
Consent Comes First Works in the Following Areas:
Support: Referrals to counselling and medical services; safety planning; academic considerations and workplace accommodations; self-care resources; advocacy; navigating resources.
Education: Deliver education, prevention, training and awareness activities in collaboration with campus partners.
Reporting: Assistance in making an informed decision about the next steps should an individual choose to report an incident to the university, the police or professional bodies.
Policy and Procedures: Provide expert advice on relevant policies and procedures in collaboration with campus partners.
We offer warm referrals to counselling and medical services, safety planning, academic considerations and workplace accommodations, self-care resources, advocacy, navigating resources, and more.
Assistance in making an informed decision about next steps should an individual choose to report to authorities within the university or to the police.
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.
Deliver education, prevention, training and awareness activities with campus partners.
Provide up-to-date community resource information.
Maintain non-identifying annual data on disclosures and reports of sexual violence on campus.
Consent Comes First Principles
- We believe that everyone who accesses Consent Comes First 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 seek to identify and remove barriers that might exist for the communities we serve in accessing our programs and services;
- 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 healing-centred, trauma-informed, 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.
Ryerson Sexual Violence Policy
Ryerson’s policy on sexual violence was approved by the Board of Governors in June 2015, updated in 2016 and 2019. 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.
Community Accountability
Consent Comes First is committed to listening, reflecting and responding with care. We are grateful to the Ryerson community members who provide advice, feedback and information on how to strenghten our campus response to addressing sexual and gender-based violence.
Advisory Committees
Consent Comes First, 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 formgoogle form Waves Committee Application, external link, 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.
If you have feedback about the services you have received at Consent Comes First please contact either Valerie Bruce, Interim Director from Student Housing & Community Care at vbruce@ryerson.ca or the Office of the Ryerson Ombudsperson at ombuds@ryerson.ca.