Required Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Required Prevention Training for Incoming Graduate Students

The information below is about required sexual violence and sexual harassment prevention training for incoming graduate students at UC Berkeley. This information has been updated for students starting their program in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.

*Content Warning: This page contains information about training requirements for the prevention of sexual violence and sexual harassment. These forms of harm are too common, and we recognize that many people in our community have experienced them. 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 contacting a Confidential Advocate at the PATH to Care Center. You will not be required to disclose any details of your experience. We ask this request to be reserved for students impacted by sexual violence and sexual harassment and/or histories of trauma, violence, or harassment. You can reach an Advocate by email (ptcadvocates@berkeley.edu) or by phone (510-642-1988). Please use the subject line: Alternative to Required Education.

At Berkeley, we are committed to building a community that is safe and affirming for everyone. Each of us plays a vital part in supporting a campus environment where sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH), including behaviors such as gender harassment, retaliation, relationship violence, and stalking, have no place.

Below, we outline resources, tools and two required trainings for all incoming graduate students that can help you prevent and respond effectively to instances of sexual violence and harassment.

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 (opens in a new tab) or contact the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (opens in a new tab) (the Title IX office) for a consultation.

Required Trainings

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.

Please be sure that you understand your responsibility to complete two forms of training. Students who are not in compliance will receive enrollment holds until BOTH tasks are resolved. 

  1. Online training module*: We have partnered with Vector Solutions to provide an online prevention program called “Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students”. You may access the training via your CalCentral Dashboard (opens in a new tab) using your CalNet credentials.
  2. Live prevention education session*: Incoming students (except those in online-only programs) must participate in a live Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, “Cultivating a Respectful Graduate Community,” facilitated by the PATH to Care Center. Some academic departments will be hosting webinars as part of their program orientation for their students. Please inquire with your graduate advisor if you are unsure if your department is hosting their own training. 

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The graduate student trainings are distinct and have different content than the trainings designed for undergraduate students.

If you have already taken the graduate student versions of the trainings AND it is recorded in CalCentral, you do not need to take a second training. Please email gradlife@berkeley.edu with your Student ID number so we can correct the assignments in CalCentral.

If you have concerns about completing these requirements because of personal history contact a Confidential Advocate at the PATH to Care Center.
You may request to complete the training requirements in an alternative way. You will not need to disclose any details of your experience. This request should be only for those affected by sexual violence or harassment and/or histories of trauma, or violence.
You can reach an Advocate by email ptcadvocates@berkeley.edu (opens in a new tab)or by phone (510)-642-1988. Please use the subject line: Alternative to Required Education.

You may log in directly to the learning platform (opens in a new tab).

Try clearing your cache or logging in with a private (or incognito) window.

You may also visit the Troubleshooting Section (opens in a new tab) on Vector Solutions’s Support Page.

Make sure that every video plays through to its conclusion before answering the questions. Answering the questions before the video plays through can cause a looping issue where it goes back to a previous question.

Any other technical issues with the course will need to be resolved by contacting Vector Solutions Support directly (opens in a new tab).

We recently switched platforms and have been experiencing delays with the automatic update system. Please expect the task to clear within 24 hours.

Have you activated your UCB licensed Zoom account (opens in a new tab)?

Tasks will be cleared automatically 24-48 hours after attending the webinar. A student must have been logged into more than 75% of the webinar in order to qualify as present. While it is helpful for you to be logged in with your Berkeley email address, it is not required (Instructions (opens in a new tab)).

Students who cannot attend a session will receive an enrollment hold for the following semester until the task is complete. In October (Fall admits) or March (Spring admits), you will receive more information to complete an alternative assignment to fulfill your educational requirements.

We use Zoom Attendance Reports to check attendance. Email gradlife@berkeley.edu (opens in a new tab) with the following information so that we can review those logs.

  • Name and SID number.
  • Date and time of the session you attended.
  • Any alternate email addresses you may have logged into Zoom with.

 

Expand All