IADT welcomes PROPEL Report from THEA

IADT welcomes the publication of the PROPEL report by THEA which will support the technological higher education sector in the creation of robust and consistent frameworks and action plans aimed at preventing sexual violence and harassment and promoting consent education. The higher education system has a powerful leadership role to play in preventing and responding to sexual violence and harassment, not only on our college campuses but across wider society.

Following the launch of the report IADT President, David Smith remarked on the importance of the initiative and the integral role IADT had in its development;

 

“IADT welcomes the publication of the PROPEL report by THEA which will support the technological higher education sector in the creation of robust and consistent frameworks and action plans aimed at preventing sexual violence and harassment and promoting consent education. The higher education system has a powerful leadership role to play in preventing and responding to sexual violence and harassment, not only on our college campuses but across wider society. I would like to thank our EDI Manager Claire McGing for the significant contribution she has made to the success of the project and for her efforts in ensuring that IADT continue to lead in the adoption and implementation of these vitally important initiatives”

Promoting Consent at IADT

The Institute is actively working to foster a campus culture that is clear in the condemnation of unwanted and unacceptable behaviours. The IADT Promoting Consent and Preventing Sexual Violence Action Plan 2021-2024 aims to achieve a zero tolerance approach to these behaviours and our actions are intersectional and trauma-informed. In addition to reviewing our policies and procedures in this area and providing consent and sexual disclosures education to students and staff, we are currently working with NUIG Active* Consent and UCC Bystander Intervention to develop a series of animations on the topic of consent which will be shared with the rest of the sector in 2021.

IADT has been involved in the development of the Framework for Consent at national level. In 2019 the Registrar, Dr Andrew Power, co-authored the Framework report under the direction of Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, former Minister of State for Higher Education. Claire McGing, EDI Manager and Chair of the IADT Consent Working Group, was a member of the THEA PROPEL Working Group which contributed to the development of the report and Denise McMorrow, Student Experience Manager, represented the Institute on the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) National Advisory Committee (NAC) relating to ending sexual violence and harassment in third level education.

The PROPEL report is available for download here.