Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

Roshelle Kades,

I have a wonderful recommendation that I think would fit very well with what you are asking for. Jenna Gehl-Jones is the current associate director for the Health Promotion and Education Office at Sindecuse Health Center on Western Michigan Universities campus. She has 7 years worth of experience working in the field of alcohol/ health education at both large and small universities/ colleges as well as both private and public institutions. Notre Dame, Dominican university, and University of Wisconsin- La Crosse are some of the spaces she has done previous programming. At Western Michigan university she has created and collaborated on several programming options at Western Michigan University. 

I would describe her as non-judgmental, sex positive, and multicultural minded. She explores the context of drinking social norms in college in a didactic manner that allows students to be better educated as they make choices regardless of what those choices may be. She stays away from scare tactics and shaming in her work and instead works from the angle of all people have diverse identities, cultures, behaviors, and values and that students should consider how these categories affect their choices from an educated place. 

Similar to what you are asking for she does Alcohol education for our First Year Seminar courses here. The write up for this program is as follows:

“Redefining WMU Drinking Culture: Empowering the Silent Majority”

Fueled by a national media culture that leads us to believe that alcohol and partying are a primary part of the college experience, research shows that students often overestimate how much their fellow students drink.  These misperceptions in turn lead to higher rates of alcohol use as students attempt to match their individual behavior to a false norm.   In this interactive presentation, we examine cultural messages, empower the silent majority of students who drink more moderately than perceived, and discuss actual drinking norms using electronic audience response clickers.

She can be contacted directly via email at Hope this helps.

Amber Mosley
Sexual Assault Prevention Education Coordinator
Sindecuse Health Center
(269)387-2990

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From: "Roshelle Kades" <>
To: "" <>
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 1:24:22 PM
Subject: Alcohol/Drug Educator

Hi, all,

 

We are looking for a new speaker to talk about alcohol/drugs during our First Year Experience course. Does anyone have a recommendation for someone who is particularly effective engaging students at a small, liberal arts college (first-year class of 400-450, no fraternities or sororities, no football team), and who does not connect alcohol to sexual assault in a way that is victim-blaming? Anyone who speaks from a perspective of personal story, in addition to wider knowledge regarding trends, health effects, etc.? I am asking on other forums, as well, but would love to hear from this group, partially because I know a lot of us who work in the sexual assault prevention field also do alcohol/drug education, and because it is so critical to find someone who does not connect the two issues in a way that is harmful.

 

Take care,

 

Roshelle Kades

Assistant Director for Student Outreach

Office of the Dean of Students

410.769.5088