Know More Campaign Raises Awareness about Consent and Support Services

Vancouver Island University is committed to creating a safe, supportive and respectful learning environment. 

The Know More Education Campaign supports that commitment and aims to raise awareness of and create conversations about sexual violence and misconduct and its impact, as well as the support services that exist in the VIU community. 

“We want to let students know that faculty and staff are here to listen and can refer students to counselling and medical supports located in the VIU student Health and Wellness Centre should they experience sexualized violence,” says Bryan Tinlin, VIU’s Director of Student Services. “These services, along with my office, can also help connect students to community resources.”

Last fall, the Know More Campaign introduced two themes: Know Consent and Know Support as a way to create opportunities for conversations. Last spring, the theme Know How to Listen was released.  

“This is certainly an interesting time to be doing this type of work – we are all learning so much about consent and sexual violence on campuses and in society,” says Chantelle Spicer, VIU Students’ Union, Women Students’ Representative. “The goal of the Know More campaign should always be to provide opportunities for the campus community to engage in a deeper conversation about what consent means in our daily actions – it’s about more than sex! Consent intersects with issues of basic respect for one another, Indigenous sovereignty and land rights, and digital spaces. We all have so much more to learn as we deepen our ability to live more consensual lives.”

Know More is sponsored by the Moose Hide Campaign Safe Space, Safe Place initiative and the Vancouver Island University Students’ Union. For more information, visit: viu.ca/know-more.

*This article originally appeared in the Fall 2018 edition of VIU Magazine. Check out more stories on the VIU Magazine webpage.