FAQ: Education and Training

What is the sexual violence prevention education and training requirement for students, faculty and staff?

Students: All incoming students are required to take the education and training program at their campus within the first six weeks of class. All continuing students are required to take ongoing education and training annually.

To learn more about how to fulfill the education and training requirement at your campus, visit your campus Education and Training webpage:

• Berkeley
• Davis
• Irvine
• Los Angeles
• Merced
• Office of the President
• Riverside
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Santa Barbara
• Santa Cruz

Faculty and Supervisors: Faculty and Supervisors are legally required to complete two hours of sexual harassment prevention training every two years, and new faculty and supervisors are required to take training within 90 days of hire. Starting January 2016, a systemwide faculty/supervisor training and education program was implemented that revised the content in the sexual harassment prevention training so that it meets UC’s systemwide curriculum. It also includes additional training for those who work directly with students such as faculty student advisors. Faculty and supervisors also receive training on their legal obligations to report sexual violence. In addition, faculty and supervisors will receive other violence prevention training on an annual basis reminding them of their obligation and processes for notifying Title IX offices about sexual violence and sexual harassment.

Staff and academic appointees who are not supervisors: Staff who are not supervisors will also be required to complete sexual harassment and sexual violence prevention training. UC’s systemwide staff training and education program requires new employees to receive training within the first six weeks of hire. All staff will receive training annually. The new training will include information on their responsibility to report sexual violence and sexual harassment if the incident involves a student.

What concepts are covered in UC’s education and training program?

The key concepts covered in UC’s systemwide curriculum are:

• Definitions of different forms of sexual violence
• Social norms, including the attitudes and beliefs that can normalize violence
• Bystander intervention
• Responding to sexual violence using methods that acknowledge the impact of violence and trauma on survivors’ lives
• Local resources, including confidential support for survivors of sexual violence and appropriate services for those accused of sexual violence
• Rights and options about reporting sexual violence

Do I have to take education and training every year?

For students, education and training is an annual requirement as part of UC’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence on campuses. The systemwide education and training program for faculty and staff is being refined, and will include refresher training every year.

Is the education and training course the same at every UC campus?

The core elements of the curriculum are consistent across the UC system; however, campuses have flexibility in the way they deliver the UC systemwide curriculum. For example, some campuses offer an online course while others provide in-person training. Campuses will use the systemwide e-courses for faculty, supervisors, and non-supervisory staff but may offer other alternatives as well that meet the curricular and legal requirements for content.

Do students, faculty and staff take the same education and training course?

The key concepts are the same for all audiences, but the curriculum is tailored to what each audience needs to know. For example, faculty, other supervisors, and staff (including academic personnel who are not supervisors) will receive tailored training on their responsibilities to report sexual violence as well as how to support students affected by sexual violence.

Does this new systemwide education and training replace the sexual harassment prevention training that faculty and staff currently are required to take every two years?

The content in the existing sexual harassment prevention training was revised so that it meets UC’s systemwide curriculum. Specifically, the revised content provides information for faculty and supervisors on how to notify the university if they receive an allegation of sexual violence/assault/harassment. Faculty and academic appointees who work directly with students would be required to take additional training. A new in-person training with a UC-content focus will be developed in 2016 as well.