Category Archives: Healthcare Issues

ACTION ITEM: Sexual Respect Initiative

Action Item, Community Citizenship, Healthcare Issues, Knight Bagehot, M.A. Program, M.S. Program, Part-time Students

Dear Students,

Today, as Columbia’s annual Sexual Respect and Community Citizenship Initiative begins, all new students (FT M.S., M.A., 1st year SEAS, 1st year PT, Knight Bagehots) are required (and all students are encouraged) to reflect on the link between sexual respect and membership in the Columbia community.  Workshops, documentary filmscreenings and discussion, multiple online options, resources for healing and resilience, and independent projects are all ready for your engagement.   *This is in addition to the pre-arrival tutorial and the orientation presentations.

How to Participate

Everyone is invited and strongly encouraged to choose as many options as you would like.  If you are new toColumbia, or new to your school at Columbia, you must complete at least one option.

https://sexualrespect.columbia.edu/participate

Events Held at the Journalism School

Although you can choose any of the options above, you can also fulfill the requirement by attending one of three sessions to be held at the Journalism School just for Journalism students. The first is this Thursday, 9/22, at 6 p.m., in 601B – RSVP here.

https://sexualrespect.columbia.edu/sri-options-journalism

Sexual respect at Columbia is a commitment to acting with integrity and respect for others, and is a responsibility to do what we can, individually and collectively, to reinforce an ethic of care and mutual respect in our community, even amidst our differences. It is also the unequivocal refusal to tolerate sexual harassment, sexual assault and other forms of gender-based misconduct.

 

Here’s why you should care:  Most basically, we are in a community together and the way we treat each other matters.  But also, data coming directly from Columbia students via a major survey shows that many of you report being sexually harassed by your peers. Some have also reported nonconsensual sexual contact by another Columbiastudent, often (though not always) after having been drinking together.

 

Not surprisingly, this harassment and contact can interfere profoundly with academic success, student organizations and teams, and everyone’s well-being.

 

So, as we start this academic year, we can reshape our community and the ways we treat each other.  The Sexual Respect Initiative, created for you by students along with faculty and administrators, gives you a ready path to gain skills and knowledge – and to contribute to making a difference.

 

But, you might say, I already treat my friends with respect – why should I do this too?  The answer is in the title – it is the Sexual Respect AND Community Citizenship Initiative.

 

How many of us can say we don’t know anyone who has been harassed or subjected to dating violence or assault, or can say we don’t know anyone who may have crossed the line of harassment or other gender-based misconduct? And, importantly, how many of us feel equipped enough to step in or get help for a friend, even in our own community?

 

Simply put, the Sexual Respect Initiative is about understanding and responding to the links among us and doing what we can to create change, not just in this moment but throughout the year and beyond.

Participation by students new to Columbia or new to their department/school at Columbia is a required condition of continued enrollment.  You must select at least one option before October 30.

Confirm Your Participation

  1. Visit http://courseworks.columbia.edu and log in with your UNI and password.
  1. Select My Projects on the left column.
  1. Select 2016-17 Sexual Respect and Community Citizenship Initiative.
  1. Follow the instructions for each option.
  1. Once complete, you will get a confirmation and evaluation email.

ACTION ITEM: Immunization Compliance

Getting Things Done, Healthcare Issues, M.A. Program, M.S. Program, Major memos

Dear New Students:

Welcome to the Journalism School! We look forward to meeting you soon! We will be in touch later in June about registration and mandatory orientation.

Right now, I am writing to notify you about something you must do before we will be able to register you for classes.

New York State public health law requires that all students document immunity to Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), as well as document that they either have received the Meningitis vaccine or have declined to receive it.

All students must be in compliance with these laws before being registered for classes.  Detailed information and instructions are available at http://health.columbia.edu/students/immunization-compliance-requirements/immunization-compliance-requirements

Please act as soon as possible to supply Health Services with the required documentation.  Please do not send me or anyone else at the Journalism School your health records.  Only Health Services can certify that you are cleared and can be registered.

The deadline for completion of this task is May 11 for new part-time students and July 1 for all new full-time students !  We will be unable to register you for classes without your having submitted this documentation.

Please DO NOT contact my office with questions about this requirement, you must contact Health Services at (212) 854-7210 with any questions regarding immunization compliance. Alternately, send email to immunizationcompliance@columbia.edu

Thanks!

Denim Day @ Columbia – Wed, April 27

Columbia Events, Community Citizenship, Healthcare Issues, SVR

DENIM DAY: HISTORY

Denim Day is a day for students and administrators
to join voices together in support of Sexual Assault
Awareness Month (SAAM). At Columbia University,
we began participating in Denim Day in 2010 and
look to grow our support this and every year.

In 1999, Denim Day became an international movement
in response to a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision
to overturn a rape conviction. In the case, the justices
reasoned the victim’s jeans were so tight that she
must have helped to remove them, implying consent.

The day after the court decision, women in the Italian
Parliament protested by wearing jeans and holding
placards that read, “Jeans: An Alibi for Rape.” In 2008,
the Italian Supreme Court overturned the ruling.

During this sexual violence prevention education campaign, we ask members of the Columbia community to wear denim, jeans, or a Denim Day sticker, on April 27th as a visible sign of support for survivors of sexual violence.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. On April 27th wear denim, jeans or a sticker in support of Denim Day.

2. Send a picture of your office members wearing jeans to denimday@columbia.edu.

3. Attend a SAAM event, such as the Clery Lecture (4/5) or Take Back the Night (4/14). Dates, times, and locations available at health.columbia.edu/SAAM.

 

EVENT: Seeking Solutions to End Sexual Violence Symposium

Columbia Events, Community Citizenship, Healthcare Issues, Other Schools, Speakers
You’re Invited to Attend the Seeking Solutions to End Sexual Violence Symposium 2016
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Columbia School of Social Work Students Against Sexual Violence Caucus is hosting the Seeking Solutions to End Sexual Violence Symposium to gather students from across campus so that we can collaborate in order to secure a system that works with and for survivors of sexual violence. The main purpose of this year’s Symposium is to discuss the scope of the problem, take an intersectional approach to our work, and begin to seek solutions. We are pleased to have speakers from a variety of NYC organizations working everyday on this issue: the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, Safe Horizon, Anti-Violence Project, Legal Aid, Bronx Legal Services, NYPD, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals, SAFER, New York Asian Women’s Center, GEMS, Day One, Sexual Health Innovations, and more!
WHEN: Saturday April 9, 2016 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM *
   *Networking Happy Hour to follow
WHERE: Columbia School of Social Work
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: http://tinyurl.com/endSV16
We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Sexual Respect Initiative – Requirement

Graduation, Healthcare Issues, M.A. Program, M.S. Program, Part-time Students

REMINDER: You must complete the Sexual Respect Initiative participation requirements no later than March 20.  Participation is a graduation requirement.

 

How to get started:  Go to the Sexual Respect website to learn about and sign up for workshops, film screenings, online options, independent projects, and resources for healing and resilience.  Check the FAQ for details.

 

Why sexual respect? Sexual respect is a commitment to communicating and acting with integrity and respect for others. The Sexual Respect and Community Citizenship Initiative asks all Columbia students to act, in ways most meaningful to you, to create this ethic of care in our own University community even amidst our differences, and to challenge sexual and gender-based misconduct at Columbia and beyond.

 

Questions? Email sexualrespect@columbia.edu. And check out the Office of University Life website for more ways to get involved.

Major Memo: Smoking Prohibition Policy

Building Issues, Community Citizenship, Healthcare Issues, Major memos
To All Students and Journalism School Community:
This is a reminder about the Columbia University policy on the prohibition on smoking in campus buildings, AND immediately by doorways/entrances to buildings. That includes the entrance to Pulitzer Hall, where you are not permitted to stand while smoking. This is more than just a matter of courtesy, but also a policy established to safeguard the health of non-smokers entering and leaving the building, and those affected when smoke drifts into offices and classrooms.
The policy states:
Policy – Smoking Prohibited
“Smoking is prohibited in any indoor area, in all University vehicles, and outdoor seating or viewing areas of sports arenas and recreational areas, such as those at Baker Field.  Smoking is also prohibited outdoors within 20 feet of all University buildings.”
The full University policy can be reviewed here, including provisions for disciplinary process for violations.
Columbia University Public Area Smoking Policy
Map of Designated Smoking Areas ( including the walkway PAST the steps in front of Pulitzer Hall)
Please observe this policy.
Ernest R. Sotomayor, Dean of Student Affairs
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Major Memo: University Travel Advisory – Zika Virus

Healthcare Issues, Safety/Security, Tips, Useful Websites

Dear Students,

Columbia University is monitoring Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene advisories regarding Zika virus.

The CDC has posted an “Alert Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions,” for areas in the Caribbean, Central, and South America where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. (See map at:http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/) There have been reports of a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant. Knowledge of the link between Zika and these outcomes is evolving, but until more is known, CDC recommends special precautions for the following groups:

  • The CDC advises women who are pregnant to consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.
  • For those women who are trying to become pregnant or who are thinking about becoming pregnant, the CDC recommends that they talk with their doctor about any travel plans to affected regions.

Zika virus is primarily transmitted through mosquitos. Anyone travelling to, or living in, areas with confirmed cases of Zika virus is, therefore, at risk for infection. Symptoms of Zika virus include rash, fever and joint pain. Only 20-30% of infected individuals will become symptomatic. The incubation period of the virus is unknown, but thought to be in the range of 3-12 days. There is currently no vaccination against Zika virus; treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms of infection and is not specific to Zika virus.

While there are three reported cases of Zika virus in New York City, these were all associated with travel to the affected region.

While no one is obligated to travel to an affected area on University business, those who do are strongly advised to adhere strictly to mosquito precautions:

  • In contrast to other mosquito-related illnesses, where the highest risk of exposure tends to be at dawn and dusk, Zika has been reported to be contracted during daytime hours as well.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
  • Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
  • Sleep under a mosquito bed net.
  • Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. All EPA-registered insect repellents are evaluated for effectiveness.
  • Use permethrin-treated clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents). You can buy pre-treated clothing and gear, or treat them yourself.

Additional precautionary measures can be found here.

For more information on Zika virus, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

WORKSHOP: Intimate Partner Violence

Getting Things Done, Healthcare Issues, M.A. Program, M.S. Program, Part-time Students, PhD

PLEASE NOTE: Participation in this workshop will fulfill the University Life Sexual Respect and Community Citizenship requirement

Intimate Partner Violence: Understanding Power & Control and Giving Support
Tuesday, December 1, 2:00 – 3:30 P.M. in Alfred Lerner Hall, Room 569

A significant number of individuals have been impacted by intimate partner violence, either directly or indirectly. Recognizing controlling behaviors in a relationship can be difficult- it is important for students to be aware of warning signs that a relationship may become abusive and understand how to gauge next steps in the event that a relationship becomes violent. During this interactive workshop, participants examine the behaviors that may be indicators of an unhealthy or abusive relationship and learn about ways to effectively support someone who is in an abusive relationship. Please note that this workshop is only for Graduate Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Participation in this workshop will fulfill the University Life Sexual Respect and Community Citizenship requirement. RSVP is required.