This is a two-part series. Read "PART ONE: Campus Program Continuation Grant Works to Keep Dean Safe and Inclusive" here: https://thedeandaily.wixsite.com/thedeandaily/post/part-one-campus-program-continuation-grant-works-to-keep-dean-safe-and-inclusive
After getting the lowdown on the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women’s Campus Program Continuation Grant and Morgan Coleman’s new position as Director of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education, I threw out an unplanned question that kept nagging my mind: How have you become so comfortable talking about such heavy topics and handling the immense responsibility that comes with your position? She first acknowledged that conversations around sexual based and gender-based violence are incredibly intimidating, but part of her job is to break down those intimidating barriers and provide resources so that we may have more of these conversations in a trauma informed and survivor centered way. And for her personally, she describes herself as a “lifelong learner.” That has always been part of her core values, and she acknowledges that she learns from everyone she encounters on campus, no matter their position as student, faculty, or staff. Another part of her work that leads to a certain comfortability in discussing heavy topics is self-awareness work. This type of work involves unpacking our own unconscious biases and how they play into our everyday interactions. Part of this unpacking involves educating ourselves (going back to that core value of being a lifelong learner) and how our identities interact with others. This knowledge and reflection are a step forward in helping with much-needed inclusive conversations.
In a more practical application, Coleman’s experience between graduating from Dean and returning to work in residential life has also helped her with the work she aims to do now. After completing her undergraduate education, she went straight into University of Connecticut’s two-year Higher Education and Student Affairs Master’s Program. This program “focused on student development through a lens of social justice and accessibility.” She additionally earned a post-grad certificate in post-secondary accessibility services. While at UConn, she held various assistantships around campus to help her understand how all the different departments on campus interact. From that experience, she was able to understand needs and values, which leads into her position at Dean as she must understand the needs and values of those offices and departments at the College whose collaborative efforts are needed to support the work of the grant. One of those assistantships at UConn was in Risk Management in the Office of Student Activities, which inspired her to “work on projects that I know were reaching students at some of the most vulnerable and traumatic times of their lives,” she says in her own words. An inspired passion that now influences the work she does for the Dean community.
When I ask her what she hopes to accomplish this semester and in coming semesters here at Dean with this grant, she replies, “A lot of things!” with a smile. “A lot of things” can be broken down into first an increased awareness of the four awareness months: Stalking Awareness Month in January, Dating Violence Awareness Month in February, Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, and Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Second, Coleman loves student input and wants to amplify the voices we have on campus. She wants to see “an expansion of our shared responsibility” on campus through “tangible and relatable prevention efforts.” Third, she wants to create a bank of workshops and programs for all levels of experience and knowledge on topics such as unpacking gender norms, intersectionality, empowering authenticity, and much more. The goal for this bank is to be a wealth of information for student organizations to turn to when searching for either private or public workshops to host on campus. Part of those workshops and programs would be training for students, faculty, and staff to enhance safe spaces on campus and to help people feel okay having difficult conversations and reporting any form of harassment, threatening behaviors, and abuse. Fourth, she will be revisiting the College’s bystander education program and enhancing it for upperclassmen. Through the CCRT, there will be opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to get involved in various affinity groups. Coleman wants people to feel represented in the resources we have on campus. She wants every student to “feel as though they are valued on campus.” Fifth, an ongoing list of resources in the form of books, movies, shows, podcasts, social media accounts, and more for students to find what suits their learning style best. So “a lot of things” is a pretty accurate description of her goals for the College!
In line with campus involvement, the best way to reach her is by email at mcoleman@DEAN.edu, on Microsoft Teams, or just by stopping by her office (Chapman House second floor)! She wants everyone to feel comfortable asking her the questions they have.
To reiterate, the grant the College received from the Office of Violence Against Women is designed to positively engage and impact everyone in the campus community and even beyond with the help of local partners Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, New Hope, Inc., and the Franklin Police Department, all of which have a survivor centered approach to victim services.
At the end of the day, the work that stems from the grant will create “space where people can feel comfortable to be a part of these comprehensive efforts whether they are learning for the first time or are an expert in the field,” Coleman says.
Stay tuned for more collaborations between Coleman and the Dean Daily coming soon!
See below for February programming in support of Dating Violence Awareness Month:
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