Whether you’re new to LSE, or joining us for the first time, you’ve probably already come across Consent.Ed! You might have seen something at the bottom of a departmental newsletter, posters in halls or around campus, or even one of our promotional videos on Instagram.
Yet with so many other things to think about at the beginning of term, you might not have had a chance to really explore what Consent.Ed actually is. So we’ve done a quick Q&A with one of our senior facilitators to help you out.
Who are you?
My name’s Namitha, and I just graduated from LSE this July! I’ve been working on the Consent.Ed programme since its conception almost three years ago; I started as a facilitator in the first year of the programme, and have since worked as a senior facilitator, helping to support content development, recruitment, training and the logistical side of it all.
Outside of Consent.Ed, I’ve been involved with other things in LSE. I’ve worked at Tuns (our very beloved and cheap student bar), helped run the student campaign HandsOffLSE, and I was President of LSESU’s Kitesurf & Wakeboarding Society. There’s lots to get involved in at LSE, and I’d highly recommend joining campaigns, clubs and societies to make the most of your time here!
What actually is Consent.Ed?
Consent.Ed is a two-part programme developed by the university to explore issues around sexual consent. It was created to make campus a safer space for everyone, and to make sure we all have the same baseline knowledge and information, as well as the tools to safely intervene if we see something that doesn’t look quite right.
It’s expected of everyone to take part in Consent.Ed, and completing it gives you access to most of our biggest social events throughout the year, including the infamous carol- starting as early as 6am with three clubs and several pubs to get through, it’s an all-day Christmas festivity that you will never forget!
It is also a requirement to complete Consent.Ed if you want to be a leader or committee member of any club or society- so it’s better to get it done sooner rather than later!
How do I complete my Consent.Ed?
The first part is an online training session that you can do online here- it only takes 15 minutes!
The second part is an in-person workshop, and these take place both on campus and in halls. These are 1.5 hour-long workshops led by a diverse body of trained student facilitators. They are delivered by LSE students, for LSE students. It might seem long, but we’ve worked hard to create an interesting and interactive session where you do most of the talking- the time really does tend to fly by!
To book your in-person session log into LSE Student Hub online or on the app, & tap “Bookings” at the bottom of your screen. Search for “Consent.Ed”, and you'll see upcoming sessions taking place in September and October. We are also offering survivor-led workshops, which you can read more about and book on LSE Consent.Ed page.
What’s it like helping to develop the Consent.Ed programme?
It has been really rewarding! I’ve gotten to work closely with Laura Boland, LSE’s Anti-Harassment Support Advisor, and it has been so great learning from her and all of her expertise. We’ve listened to feedback over the past couple of years and have worked hard to make sure the content is more inclusive and relevant than ever before. For example, we have entirely new sections on spiking and LGBTQ+ relationships. We’ve also selected an amazing team of facilitators, and I’m excited to see all their training and hard work pay off!
Questions or Concerns?
We understand that you may have concerns about the sensitive nature of Consent.Ed. We've designed the course and the in-person sessions to be empowering, and we've tried to be sensitive about the content. However, you do not have to participate in this course should you feel unable to do so and you can opt out altogether here. We encourage anyone concerned about the content or attending Consent.Ed to email us, or if you have any questions at all, please reach out to su.info@lse.ac.uk.
This blog was written by Namitha Aravind.
THE LSESU ADVICE TEAM
The LSESU Advice Team is based on the 3rd floor of the Saw Swee Hock Building and we provide free, independent and confidential advice to all LSE students on academic and housing matters. We also administer the Hardship Fund, the Childcare Fund and the Graduation Gown Support Fund (GGSF).
Our service is currently operating using a hybrid working pattern. We are still open and can be accessed by emailing su.advice@lse.ac.uk. You can also book a telephone or Zoom appointment with an adviser through Student Hub.