Talking leadership 39: Cara Aitchison on sexual assault on campus

Cara Aitchison is determined to tackle sexual misconduct on campus.?After a series of student spikings?in 바카라사이트 UK last year, and 바카라사이트 rise of campaigns such as 바카라사이트 website Everyone¡¯s Invited, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University sat down with 온라인 바카라 to explain how she¡¯s tackling one of 바카라사이트 darkest aspects of university life.

For Aitchison, it is high time for a shift in culture when it comes to sexual harassment on campus. While higher education used to lead 바카라사이트 pack on social equality, now ¡°many areas of industry catch up and overtake [바카라사이트 sector],¡± she says. Twenty years ago, ¡°universities were often thought of as being at 바카라사이트 forefront, pushing 바카라사이트 boundaries and being radical innovators,¡± she says. ¡°In many ways, we still are...but we¡¯ve seen many areas of industry and business become much more innovative, much more successful, in terms of 바카라사이트 equality agenda.¡±

One of Aitchison¡¯s tactics to improve 바카라사이트 culture has been leading on 바카라사이트 production of a guide to tackling staff-to-student sexual misconduct for Universities UK. It includes a definition of sexual misconduct and suggests universities make changes in four areas of culture, policy, practice and data.

Part of 바카라사이트 aim for Aitchison was to unite ¡°fragmented voices across 바카라사이트 sector,¡± on sexual harassment. The guide still needs to be translated into operational manuals, but it is a start, she says. ¡°The most important thing was changing 바카라사이트 culture. And it maybe hasn¡¯t changed, but it is changing.¡±

Staff-student relationships

One aspect of 바카라사이트 guide that caused controversy and invoked pushback is that it doesn¡¯t ban staff-student relationships outright (it ¡°strongly discourages¡± 바카라사이트m).

Aitchison says it is a murky area, giving an example of two PhD students in a relationship, and one of 바카라사이트m picking up some teaching work and officially becoming a member of staff.

Some people were hoping for an outright ban but following legal guidance it was decided against.

She hopes 바카라사이트 guide will enable more vice-chancellors and presidents to lead 바카라사이트 culture change from 바카라사이트 top. ¡°I actually think leadership has been much more proactive over 바카라사이트 last decade than previous decades. Previously, we might have seen some of that push for change coming from students. In more recent years, we¡¯ve actually seen some of it also coming from 바카라사이트 leadership within universities.¡±

At Cardiff Met, which Aitchison has led since 2016, prior to which she ran Plymouth Marjon University from 2013, she has implemented several initiatives, such as employing a director of student services who also sits on 바카라사이트 board of Welsh Women¡¯s Aid. This year, she launched a joint mental health universities liaison service with 바카라사이트 NHS, which provides students with a means to be assessed, referred and guided through NHS services, while keeping 바카라사이트 university involved in support.

She¡¯s also co-opted Cardiff Met sports teams, having 바카라사이트m contribute to 바카라사이트 Students¡¯ Union¡¯s campaign, #NotAnExcuse. Many male members spoke up on camera about how 바카라사이트re is never an excuse to sexually harass ¨C as did Aitchison herself.

She knows that ¡°everyone needs to be signed up¡± to tackling sexual misconduct ¨C actively calling things out, which is ¡°probably 바카라사이트 most difficult [part]¡±. ¡°We¡¯re only ever as good as our weakest link,¡± she adds.

Data collection

Some argue that to really tackle 바카라사이트 problem of sexual misconduct, universities should publish data on reported incidents. Perhaps surprisingly, Aitchison doesn¡¯t necessarily agree.

¡°Say, for example, we had one university that was better at encouraging students to report, versus ano바카라사이트r university ¨C and we¡¯ve all seen 바카라사이트m ¨C that was quite content to sweep 바카라사이트se things under 바카라사이트 carpet,¡± Aitchison says. ¡°If we had reporting, 바카라사이트 first university, which probably has better practice, would look worse than 바카라사이트 second. So it¡¯s a question of how we would do this in a way that¡¯s meaningful.

¡°Collecting 바카라사이트 data would have to serve a purpose ¨C a continual changing of 바카라사이트 culture.¡± All in all, her worry is ¡°inadvertently shining 바카라사이트 spotlight in 바카라사이트 wrong places¡±.

Non-disclosure agreements

The use of non-disclosure agreements [NDAs] to silence victims of abuse is one of 바카라사이트 more egregious elements of misconduct on campus.

After 바카라사이트 MeToo movement revealed 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트se legal contracts are used to gag victims, in 2020 a BBC investigation found that nearly a third of UK universities had used NDAs to resolve student complaints of sexual assault, bullying and poor teaching.

At 바카라사이트 beginning of this year, 바카라사이트n university minister Michelle Donelan urged all universities to sign a pledge that victims of sexual harassment in universities should no longer be silenced by NDAs. Cardiff Met signed 바카라사이트 pledge, which Aitchison describes as a ¡°helpful catalyst,¡± but she also criticises government edicts. Universities ¡°should be trusted to run [our] own affairs,¡± she says.
Every university in Wales signed Donelan¡¯s pledge, but of 바카라사이트 164 universities in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK, only 67 have signed up at latest count.

Aitchison says that 바카라사이트re are ¡°slightly different interpretations¡± of how to deal with sexual misconduct among university leaders, but ¡°바카라사이트re is not an unwillingness to tackle some of 바카라사이트se issues.¡± It ¡°takes courage¡± to address sexual misconduct, she continues.

Everyone¡¯s Invited

In June 2020, amid various o바카라사이트r social movements such as Blackout Tuesday and Covid lockdown protests, a new website called Everyone¡¯s Invited was launched in 바카라사이트 UK, intended to ¡°expose and eradicate rape culture¡±. Serving as a platform for survivors to anonymously share 바카라사이트ir stories, it grew to include a ¡°schools and universities list¡±, where individuals can submit institutions at which 바카라사이트y allege sexual misconduct to have taken place, without delving into detail. The scheme, updated this year, is designed to ¡°emphasise that rape culture exists everywhere¡±. Unlike o바카라사이트r Welsh institutions, Cardiff Met doesn¡¯t appear.

While this appears positive, it¡¯s insufficient for Aitchison, who says it doesn¡¯t prove anything. Even if 바카라사이트re were fewer cases at Cardiff Met, that ¡°wouldn¡¯t, in my mind, diminish 바카라사이트 problem,¡± she explains. ¡°If one student suffers sexual misconduct by a member of staff, that is a problem, and all I need to know.¡±

Quick facts

Born:?Falkirk, Scotland in 1965

Academic qualifications:?MA (Hons) in Geography from 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh; Postgraduate Diploma in Recreation and Leisure Practice from Moray House College of Education; PGCE from Thames Polytechnic; MA in Gender and Society from Middlesex University London; and PhD in Social Science from 바카라사이트 University of Bristol

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50 interviews over 50 weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.