Understanding Privilege - Maine Maritime Academy

Understanding Privilege:
Creating Safe Zone and
Bystander Training
Programs
THAT CAN WORK AT A SMA
Agenda

Initial approach to launching Bystander Intervention and Safe Zone Ally
programs and lessons learned.

Rationale for understanding campus-wide, focused training on privilege
and culture change.

Overview of revised training plan

Sharing of resources

Audience discussion of SMA campus climate challenges and opportunities
and successful programs.
Introductions

Elizabeth True, VP for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Title
IX Coordinator elizabeth.true@mma.edu

Amanda Nguyen, Interim Director of Residential Life and Student Services
amanda.nguyen@mma.edu

Hannah Chisholm ‘16

John Amendola ‘15
Outcomes

Broader understanding of how campus culture affects students’ ability to
engage in training on diversity topics

Sharing of best practices

Opportunity for staff at SMAs to collaborate across campuses to facilitate
better training for students

Reminder that we are ALWAYS learning
Maine Maritime Academy Culture

Male majority in student body

Fear of raising women’s issues and being treated differently

Lack of traditional student activities

Lack of racial diversity/remote area

Comparative lack of awareness of cultural sensitivity issues

Regimental culture

Hypothesis – more conservative student body? Accurate or not?

Paternalistic/big brother mentality

“I don’t see color (gender, sexual orientation)”
Student Affairs Assumptions

Students understood the concept of privilege and accepted their own

Students had prior experience with diversity/sensitivity training

MMA Students held more conservative opinions on diversity issues than
would be expected in a college population

Women and students from other underrepresented groups were
comfortable challenging prejudicial treatment

Male students understood the challenges for women on a majority male
campus

We were wrong on ALL counts!
Trying to fit a round peg into a square
hole

Adapting programs from more traditional campuses without considering
the unique campus culture of MMA
Bystander Training

Title IX requirements

Focus on bystander effect

Use of video

Lessons learned:

Began with discussion about status of women in the maritime industry

Focusing on details such as overemphasis on consent scenarios, alcohol

Making men feel defensive that all are potential predators

Unreasonable assumption about the frequency that women lie about rape for
revenge

Didn’t personalize it enough for MMA experience

Didn’t connect to honor code
Safe Zone Ally Training

Required for Ras/voluntary for rest of community

Explored how identifying as LGBT is more challenging on the MMA campus

Lessons Learned

Either fully address role of religious beliefs in issue of homophobia or don’t
explore it at all

Explain the training/Safe Zone concept better and broader marketing

Avoid generalizations and judgment based on assumptions

Adaptations for future – incorporating student staff feedback
Privilege and Culture Change

PRIVILEGE – Define

Connection between privilege and extreme majority/minority population
imbalance

Lack of critical mass

Lack of understanding or acknowledgment of majority privilege

Examples of privilege and “ism” on MMA campus:
New approaches

Diversity training re privilege

Engagement of student leaders in planning

Gender expectations and communications - Haven and Sex Signals

Connecting to the Honor Code – bystander intervention strategies

Respect the Anchor campaign
Diversity training

Cultural competency

Grasping the concept of majority privilege

Understanding how privilege and assumptions lead to exclusion
Student Leader Engagement

Understanding Campus Climate

Meaningful conversations about what didn’t work – and adapting the
training as a result of the feedback

Seeking direction – what “ism” to tackle first

Leadership Council

Feedback – what works?

Peer – led training

Focus on the positive – the benefits of being part of an honor community
Gender Expectations and
Communications

Going deeper than bystander intervention to campus climate issues –
reconsidering masculinity, expectations – what kind of community do you
want to be part of?

Looking at men as allies and bystanders, not predators

Fully exploring consent
Honor Code

Connecting bystander intervention and Safe Zone ally training to the
Honor Code and values of the MMA community

Focusing on the values and expectations of the code

We don’t treat people “that way” in our community

We look out for each other

We hold each other accountable to the code
Respect the Anchor


Orientation theme

Respecting yourself

Respecting each other

Respecting the institution

Respecting the community
Slogan picked up by athletics to convey higher expectations of behavior
among Mariners
Diversity Resources

DJ Smooth videos

Consent videos

Bystander training resources


Sex Signals www.catharsisproductions.com

Step Up stepupprogram.org

On-line Bystander training for USNA
http://www.catharsisproductions.com/online_training_demo.php
Safe Zone training manual
Collaboration

Idea sharing from other campuses