Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD has today launched a new implementation plan to address issues regarding sexual violence and harassment in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The new Implementation Plan which covers the 2022 – 2024 period, builds upon and complements the wide range of initiatives currently in place to support a zero tolerance approach to issues of sexual violence and harassment in our HEIs.
In launching the new implementation plan, the Minister outlined details of an additional €1.5 million of supports secured in Budget 2023.
The new funding will support the appointment of Sexual Violence and Harassment (SVH) Prevention and Response Managers in ourHEIs.
These new posts will further enhance the implementation of measures aimed at eradicating issues of sexual violence and harassment in our HEIs.
Speaking today, the Minister said: “I have been very clear that the tertiary education and training sector must lead the way in changing cultures, behaviours and practices across society to ensure that sexual violence and harassment are not tolerated.
“There is a particular responsibility on those charged with educating the next generation in ensuring that their students and learners are equipped to lead the change more widely across society.
“The additional funding is essential to ensuring we have the right people driving these changes. The €1.5 million will allow us to appoint Sexual Violence and Harassment (SVH) Prevention and Response Managers in ourHEIs and lead on the important changes we are making.”
The implementation plan was developed in close consultation with the HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs. It represents a comprehensive and ambitious response to the recommendations contained in the survey reports. The 19 actions in the implementation plan will be delivered between 2022 and 2024.
Among the recommendations are the potential to embed educational programmes in the curriculum and undertaking a study following the victim’s journey from disclosure to outcome.
The Minister said: “To manage the implementation of institutional consent programmes and to engage appropriately with internal and external stakeholders, we need to resource our institutions. This new funding will further enhance the capabilities of our higher education institutes to support the Government’s zero tolerance approach to all forms of sexual violence and harassment.
“I want to thank Dr Ross Woods and Tim Conlon and the leadership of the HEA for driving this change.”
CEO of the Higher Education Authority, Dr Alan Wall, said: “Not only will the delivery of the implementation plan to end sexual violence and sexual harassment in HEIs support the achievement of our vision of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive, it will contribute towards a culture shift in higher education that has the potential to catalyse transformative change in our wider society.”
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Background to the Surveys
In April 2019, the Framework for Consent in HEIs; Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions was launched. This Framework aims to ensure the creation of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive.
In August 2020, the Minister wrote to HEI Presidents indicating his intention that national surveys of student and staff experiences of sexual harassment and violence would be developed and implemented, to create a robust evidence base for further policy on these issues. The HEA established an expert Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs in January 2021 to support this work and worked with the group to develop standardised national surveys to monitor student and staff experiences of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The surveys were conducted in April-May 2021, with the survey link being sent to some 245,000 students and some 30,000 staff members in higher education. A total of 11,417 responses were analysed (7,901 students and 3,516 staff) and inform the findings. The response rate to the staff survey was c.a. 11.7% and to the student survey c.a. 3.2%.
The Minister launched the two survey reports on January 27 last. Following the publication of the survey reports, HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish HEIs commenced the process of reviewing the reports and have developed an implementation plan to give effect to the findings in the two survey reports.
The HEA survey reports can be accessed here: Surveys
The delivery of the actions in the new implementation plan are intended to build on and complement the broad range of initiatives ongoing across the sector towards the outcomes set out in the national policy framework published in 2019; ‘Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions’, (often referred to as the ‘Framework for Consent’), and accompanying institutional action plans. The HEA is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the framework, and HEIs submit reports on progress to the HEA on an annual basis.
The HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs will maintain oversight of progress towards the delivery of the actions outlined in this new implementation plan, in close collaboration with the HEA. The group will meet on a regular basis to monitor implementation, and a full review of progress will be carried out after one year.
Membership of the HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs
Dr Amanda McCloat President St Angela’s College, Sligo
Dr Anna Bull Senior Lecturer, University of Portsmouth; International Advisor and Member of the 1752 Group
Dr Bernadette Quinn Senior Lecturer in the College of Arts & Tourism, Technological University Dublin
Dr Cliona Saidlear Executive Director at Rape Crisis Network Ireland
Enda Hughes Principal Officer, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit
Jennifer McCarthy Flynn Head of Policy, National Women’s Council of Ireland
Professor Louise Crowley Bystander Intervention Programme, University college cork (UCC)
Noeline Blackwell CEO, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
Marie Keenan (since October 2021) Associate Professor School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin
Dr Pádraig MacNeela Active Consent Programme, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG)
Dr Rochelle Fritch Scientific Programme Manager, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)
Dr Emer Cahill Programme and Communications Manager, Irish Research Council (IRC)
Róisín O’Connell Head of Communications, Technological Higher education Association (THEA)
Dr Ross Woods (Chair) Senior Manager, HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Sarah Behan (since July 2022) Vice-President for Welfare, USI
(formerly Clare Austick to June 2021, and Somhairle Brennan from July 2021 to June 2022)
Dr Sinéad Ring Assistant Professor in Law, Maynooth University
Thomas Clonan (to April 2022) Lecturer, Media at TU Dublin / Author of "Women in Combat: The status and roles assigned female personnel in the Permanent Defence Forces"
Tom Reilly Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Manager, IT Sligo
Tony McMahon Associate Director HR & EDI, Irish Universities Association (IUA)
Treasa Fox (since August 2022) Head of Student Counselling, TUS Midlands / Chair of PCHEI (Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland) (formerly Gertie Raftery, Head of Student Counselling, DkIT and Chair of PCHEI)
Supports available for people affected by any of the issues raised: