Initial Education
All incoming UCSB students, including both graduate and undergraduate students, are required to complete, attend and participate in mandatory education related on interpersonal violence. UCSB is required to provide three touch points of mandatory education for incoming students that is in-person, online, and in-print. This education is in compliance with UC system-wide policy, as well as state and national policy (VAWA sec 305, Senate Bill 967).
Incoming undergraduate students, including first-year, transfer, and international students, are all required to attend in-person education called "Gaucho FYI". Gaucho FYI is an in-person workshop that all incoming UCSB undergraduates complete within their first 8 weeks at UCSB. Gaucho FYI provides information on interpersonal violence, confidential resources, bystander intervention, and how to create a campus culture that prevents interpersonal violence at all levels.
Incoming undergraduate students are also provided with education in-print through the "Gaucho Guide". The Gaucho Guide is a written guide to student rights and responsibilities that is provided to incoming UCSB undergraduate students and includes information on the policy, how to access confidential resources, make a report, support a friend, and getting connected with CARE.
Students also complete mandatory education online through a course called "Haven". Haven is an online module that incoming UCSB undergraduate students complete prior to or within their first few of coming to campus. Haven includes important information on definitions of interpersonal violence, how to identify harmful behavior and intervene as a bystander, understanding social norms that normalize violence, how to get connected with support, and reporting rights and options.
Incoming graduate students are required to complete online education on interpersonal violence through a course called "Campus Clarity". Similar to Haven, Campus Clarity is an online module that includes important information on definitions of interpersonal violence, how to identify harmful behavior and intervene as a bystander, understanding social norms that normalize violence, how to get connected with support, and reporting rights and options as they relate specifically to graduate students and the unique experiences and roles they have on campus (i.e. teaching assistants).
In addition to each of these three mandatory touchpoints, UCSB also offers additional education on interpersonal violence for incoming undergraduate students through Orientation Programs. In 2017, over 87% of new first-year students and over 71% of new transfer students attended summer orientation, where peer education on topics related to interpersonal violence prevention like bystander intervention are provided to incoming students.
Similar to undergraduate students, incoming graduate students are also required to complete education on interpersonal violence and education is offered online, in-print, and in-person.
In addition to online education, graduate students also attend in-person education through graduate student orientation and teaching assistant (TA) orientation in the fall. Each of these orientations provide critical information on how to support students impacted by interpersonal violence, including confidential advocacy services, reporting rights and options, and how to respond to disclosures.
Attendees of both graduate student orientation and TA orientation receive in-print education on CARE's confidential advocacy services, including an overview of what advocacy is, what confidentiality means, how to contact a CARE advocate, and how to make an appointment. CARE is also actively looking for opportunities to increase collaborations with campus departments to increase primary prevention education for incoming graduate students.
Ongoing Education
CARE offers several different opportunities for students, staff and faculty on campus to receive ongoing education and training on interpersonal violence prevention throughout the academic year.
CARE's team of student staff peer educators play a key role in developing and providing prevention education to the campus community. CARE peer educators create a variety of programs, workshops, awareness events, and campaigns each quarter that aim to create culture change, prevent violence, and increase awareness and support for survivors. Please visit this page to learn more about CARE's incredible team of peer educators.
CARE's ongoing peer-led programming efforts are held on a quarterly basis and address different forms of interpersonal violence. During fall quarter, CARE leads campus-wide events centered around Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which takes place in October and during winter quarter, CARE leads Stalking Awareness Month, which takes place during January. CARE's Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming in spring quarter during the month of April brings together several campus departments, student organizations, and community partners on collaborations that address issues pertaining to sexual assault and survivorship. To learn more about CARE's ongoing peer education efforts and quarterly programming, please visit our Facebook page to see upcoming events.
CARE also partners with other peer educators on campus to provide community-specific education on interpersonal violence. Throughout the academic year, CARE provides peer education to the fraternity and sorority community through collaboration with the Office of Student Life (OSL) and several leaders within the fraternity and sorority community. Through this collaboration, CARE peer education and fraternity and sorority peer educators partner up to deliver community-specific and relevant information on interpersonal violence prevention to members of the fraternity and sorority community. This has included education on how to communicate consent in healthy sexual relationships and the ins and outs of healthy and unhealthy dating, relationships, and hookups. To learn more about CARE's education or to request a workshop for your group or organization, please visit our workshop menu.
CARE also provides annual training and education to student leaders and peer educators across the Division of Student Affairs during Peer Education Network, or PEN, training that takes place each fall. PEN training is attended by nearly 200 student leaders across the Division, including Health & Wellness, the Multicultural Center, the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, CAPS Mental Health Peers, and more! The education and training provided ensures that student leaders across campus holding peer educator and mentor roles are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support other students who have been impacted by interpersonal violence. By providing training to student leaders, we can help ensure that all survivors are met with support should they disclose to one of their peers. Because the majority of survivors disclose to a peer--like a friend or roommate--this is particularly important.
In addition to providing direct services for survivors, CARE is the interpersonal violence primary prevention and education resource on campus. Our efforts aim to intervene before violence occurs and (re)create a campus and society where it is no longer acceptable. In alignment with CARE values, we utilize relevant research and a survivor-centered approach to inform the education we provide. Additionally, CARE recognizes that interpersonal violence frequently intersects with other forms of oppression, creating different circumstances for different communities and identities, and thereby utilizes an intersectional framework to best serve the UC Santa Barbara community.
CARE staff provide educational workshops for student organizations, clubs and groups on a variety of topics as well as training for professional staff, student staff, and faculty. Use the form below to arrange a program facilitated by CARE staff.
To request a workshop for your group or organization, please visit our workshop menu.
CARE also provides training to campus staff and faculty, including student staff professional staff, TAs, RAs and professors, on how to respond sensitively and appropriately respond to disclosures of interpersonal violence. CARE offers training that explores the influential role University staff members have, how trauma impacts survivors, how to respond to survivors with compassion, and how to connect with a confidential CARE Advocate. To request a training, please visit our workshop menu and select the workshop titled "Creating a Trauma-informed Campus (for University employees).