Carleton’s first sexual assault support centre is on track to open in mid-April, before the end of the academic semester, according to Carrolyn Johnston, sexual assault service co-ordinator.
The centre will be located at Equity Services in room 503 of Robertson Hall.
“The Centre includes a multi-purpose room that will be available for the entire campus community to use for sexual assault programming and a quiet room for counseling/support or where individuals can sit and reflect,” Johnston said via email.
“It will also include a library,” she added.
The centre is hoping to offer evening hours and potentially weekend hours as well, Johnston said.
In addition to the previous services offered, Johnston said the centre will offer peer support volunteers and peer educators to do public education.
“We will bring in other agencies to provide additional counselling support and group facilitation. We will hold workshop and individuals will be able to access our library for information,” Johnston said.
“Students will be integrally involved as they will be our volunteers doing peer support and public education,” she added.
But Julie Lalonde, co-founder of the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre, which had been advocating for a student-run support centre, said the group is disappointed.
“We are incredibly disappointed that the administration will solely operate the centre, as we feel that it does not reflect the years of student and survivor demands,” Lalonde said.
Lalonde said students should be involved in all matters related to sexual assault on campus. They should get involved with the centre, they should be involved with the coalition, and they should voice any gaps or concerns that they see in relation to services on campus.
“We need all hands on deck,” Lalonde said.
“Carleton, like many other institutions, believes that talking about sexual assault is bad for its reputation and chooses instead to silence survivors and their allies.”
However, Johnston said the university has been working to hold events and raise awareness around this issue this school year.
“The department launched a series of public service announcements dealing with sexual assault in the fall and we have just wrapped up filming a fourth that will be released shortly,” Johnston said.
