Required Prevention Trainings for New Graduate Students

Required Training

In this email, we outline resources, tools and required training for all incoming graduate students. 

1. Civil Rights and Open Expression on Campus: All incoming students are required to complete policy acknowledgment tasks in CalCentral, which include viewing a 30-minute video on Civil Rights and Open Expression on Campus. These will be assigned via a CalCentral task beginning in January. You will receive a notification in CalCentral once it becomes available.
2. The Hazing Prevention for Incoming Graduate Students Training is required for all incoming students. The training can be accessed via self enrollment in bCourses.
3. The Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Training is a two part training; Online & Live prevention trainings. Please understand it is your responsibility to complete both forms of prevention training, or you will be subject to enrollment holds until BOTH are completed.  

*Content Warning: If you have concerns about completing the requirements due to personal history, you may request to complete the training requirements in an alternative way by filling out this form. You will not be required to disclose any details of your experience. We ask for this request to be reserved for students impacted by sexual violence and sexual harassment and/or histories of trauma, violence, or harassment.

How to access SVSH trainings:

• Annual Online Prevention Training: The online, “UC Sexual Violence and Harassment, Anti-Discrimination, Prevention and Education,” (SHAPE) training module is available as a bCourse. This is an annual requirement for all graduate students. Access via your CalCentral Dashboard.
• Live Prevention Education In-person or Zoom: Incoming students must participate in a live prevention education training, “Cultivating a Respectful Graduate Community,” facilitated by the PATH to Care Center. The live session options are open to students in any department.
  • “Cultivating a Respectful Graduate Community,” choose either in person or on zoom:
    • On Zoom:
      • January 13, 11am-12pm Register 
      • January 21, 5pm-6pm Register
      • February 2, 2pm-3pm Register
      • March 4, 1pm-2pm Register

Some academic departments will be hosting their own trainings as part of the program orientation for their students. Please refer to your GSAO if you are unsure if your department is hosting their own training. 

Below you can find the full policy or you can review online along with frequently asked questions.

1. Check CalCentral in January for the Civil Rights and Open Expression video task.
2. Self-enroll in the bCourse to complete the Hazing Prevention training.
3. Register for both of the SVSH Prevention sessions to ensure your enrollment remains active.

SVSH prevention education training is required for incoming students to ensure that new students are aware of our community expectations of respect, as well as your rights and resources. You are role models for many students, mentors and teachers of undergraduates. As future professionals you need productive relationships with faculty who are your advisors or supervisors. These different roles place you in a pivotal position to promote a culture of respect, inclusion, and prevention. Graduate students, along with the entire campus community, share responsibility for creating the culture we all want and deserve. A goal of the required training is to reinforce standards of care and respect, and to foster healthy interactions and relationships both personally and professionally.

Graduate students who are employed by the university have another crucial role: the Responsible Employee obligation under Title IX. University of California policy defines all University employees as Responsible Employees unless they are designated as Confidential Resources. This means that, generally, if you are employed by UC, you must notify the Title IX office when you learn — while you are working — about an incident or behavior that might fall under UC Berkeley’s definitions of sexual violence or sexual harassment that involves a student. If you are unsure of your role or reporting obligations in general, or in a specific matter, please refer to the Responsible Employees FAQ or contact the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (the Title IX office) for a consultation.

University and Campus Resources

In all of your roles, we want you to feel informed about these issues and empowered to utilize our campus’ resources to gain knowledge and tools that can help you prevent and respond effectively to instances of sexual violence and harassment.

• Required Training: All UC campuses provide prevention education to graduate and professional students (as well as to undergraduates, staff, and faculty) and you are required to complete certain elements; see required training.
• Key informationabout your responsibilities as a part of the community. If you or someone you know is impacted by SVSH, you can also find information about confidential support, rights,  resources and reporting options. Confidential advocacy for students is available through the PATH to Care Center and theSocial Services unit at the Tang Center. Students may also utilize the Ombuds Officefor a confidential place to discuss complaints and consider their options.
• The UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment and the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy prohibit discrimination and harassment based on a protected category, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. You may also report hate/bias incidents to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD).