{"id":103322,"date":"2026-11-04T09:13:22","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T14:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/?post_type=cu_story&p=103322"},"modified":"2026-11-04T09:13:23","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T14:13:23","slug":"learning-for-life-human-rights-and-consent-modules","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/learning-for-life-human-rights-and-consent-modules\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning for Life: Human Rights and Consent Modules"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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\n Learning for Life: Human Rights and Consent Modules\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Everyone benefits from being part of a caring university community that upholds equity, inclusion and belonging. Ensuring students across all disciplines understand human rights, consent and the resources available to them is an important part of supporting a positive campus culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To support this continuous commitment, the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities <\/a>(EIC) offers two online, self-paced learning modules focused on human rights and sexual violence prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“The modules provide students the opportunity to develop a common language and terminology while laying the foundation for developing shared values,\u201d said Ikram Jama, Director of Human Rights and Equity at EIC. \u201cThis shared understanding helps us better prevent discrimination and harassment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The modules equip students with knowledge and skills to become thoughtful, informed members of the university community that extend well beyond their time at Carleton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by The Gender Spectrum Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Education and Support Make an Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 Developed in consultation with students, the Human Rights module introduces key concepts related to equity, inclusion and anti-oppression through examples relevant to students.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“We were able to create a lot of tangible examples that present these concepts in a way that are relevant to the student experience,” said Krista Craven, Equity and Inclusion Learning Specialist at EIC. “Since 2024, more than 4,000 students have completed the Human Rights module.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The training is making a measurable difference. Participant surveys show that after completing the module, students\u2019 understanding of key human rights concepts increased by 37 per cent and 86 per cent of participants reported feeling moderately or very equipped to recognize and respond to human rights issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on the success of the Human Rights Module, EIC launched the Sexual Violence Prevention module this fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designed with student input, the new module educates participants on gender-based and sexual violence, consent, being an active bystander, responding to disclosures about experiences of sexual violence, as well as the resources available on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf people are able to start their university career with this baseline of knowledge, it strengthens consent culture on campus,\u201d said Bailey Reid, Senior Advisor, Gender and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support at EIC. \u201cEquipping students to respond to disclosures and believe survivors is a significantly impactful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Disabled and Here<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Community Values in the Classroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Designed to fit into any course, the Human Rights module has been completed by students from every faculty at Carleton. Results show similar improvements in knowledge across disciplines, highlighting the relevance of human rights education to students in every field of study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faculty members and instructors have also played an important role in the modules\u2019 adoption. Jama says their partnerships and support have been essential to bringing the training into classrooms across the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt becomes a shared responsibility for all of us to support this training,\u201d she says. \u201cThis collaboration contributes to the cultural change we’re seeking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neuroscience<\/a> researcher Zachary Patterson<\/a> incorporated the Human Rights module into his courses as an opportunity for students to earn bonus marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While completing the module can contribute to students\u2019 final grades, its value extends beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s important to provide students with opportunities to engage with topics that extend beyond the traditional course material, particularly issues surrounding human rights, equity and inclusion,\u201d said Patterson. \u201cThe module offers an accessible and meaningful way for students to explore these topics while reinforcing the importance of creating a respectful and inclusive university community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Building on the success of the student modules, EIC is developing tailored training for faculty and staff, expected in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by The Gender Spectrum Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knowledge that Lasts a Lifetime<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

University is a time for students to prepare for their next steps, both professionally and personally. While the modules introduce policies and resources specific to Carleton, the knowledge students gain about human rights and consent can help shape how they engage with others long after they leave campus.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cCarleton is a microcosm of the larger society,\u201d said Craven. \u201cThe modules give students a space to learn about, reflect on and put into practice these concepts and principles.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The training also encourages students to continue exploring human rights beyond the university context. After completing the Human Rights module, more than two-thirds of students reported they were likely to continue learning about human rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“You can learn to be a great engineer, as well as about consent and human rights, and that will be a well-rounded education,\u201d said Jama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Everyone benefits from being part of a caring university community that upholds equity, inclusion and belonging. Ensuring students across all disciplines understand human rights, consent and the resources available to them is an important part of supporting a positive campus culture. To support this continuous commitment, the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities (EIC) offers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":446,"featured_media":103336,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[25],"cu_story_tag":[1930],"class_list":["post-103322","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-student-experience","cu_story_tag-equity-diversity-and-inclusion"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/103322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/446"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/103322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103343,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/103322\/revisions\/103343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=103322"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=103322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}