WHY?
The respect campaign evolved due to the widespread success that other colleges have seen after implementing the initiative. Originating over 3 years ago at Confederation College, the value of the program has been evident from the beginning; with widespread support of the campaign from staff, students, and the community at large. Proof of the success is evident in the changed attitudes, improved learning environment, and KPI results.
Georgian has always been known as a great place to work and study, and the aim of this campaign is simply to better one’s experiences with the College. We believe that respect is a human right, however sometimes we all need a reminder to remain respectful in our community, relationships, environment, and self.
Some of the concerns expressed include:
- Incidents of inappropriate, disrespectful behavior (swearing, racist talk, sexual jokes, bullying etc.) are being reported to the counseling department, to professors, to staff, and to student unions
- Mistreatment of College property (smoking in non designated areas, inappropriate disposal of garbage throughout the campuses, vandalizing etc) are apparent
- A lack of understanding of cultural diversity
- Reports from professors and managers suggest that inappropriate behavior is on the rise and it appears to be “normalized” – it is being tolerated by both staff and students
GOALS OF THE CAMPAIGN
The Respect Campaign serves as a reminder; it lives here (in our community, relationships, environment, and self).It is meant to raise public awareness, to make respect a human right, to help raise the bar in terms of our expectations when it comes to behavior, and to prepare students for the expectations in the work world.
The campaign signals a need for us to challenge some of the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that fail to recognize human dignity and to model and teach appropriate ways to interact.
WHY WEAR THE GEAR
I wear the gear because I will…
Recognize – be vigilant and watch for challenges to respect
Educate –educate myself and others about the importance of respect
Speak up – It’s up to me to speak up
Participate –be a part of this important initiative
Empathize – with those that are being mistreated and do something to change it
Connect – with the people around me
Teamwork – it will take teamwork to make this campaign grow and succeed
HOW WILL THE RESPECT CAMPAIGN BE ROLLED OUT?
The campaign will be a student-driven, word of mouth, poster campaign. The aim is to get people talking about respect and making it an important part of our lives.
Initially the campaign was proposed to the Student Administrative Council, by a Confederation College student who played a large part in launching their campaign. The SAC loved the idea and felt the initiative was an important one; individuals from each campus signed on to help launch and foster this campaign.
Georgian staff will be introduced to the campaign on June 10th, 2009 at the annual Georgian Day celebration. Jim Lees, the originator of the Respect Campaign at Confederation, will be the keynote speaker touching upon the campaign’s success.
During this time name tags, posters, banners and other swag will be developed to spread the word and get people talking. Explanations about the campaign will appear in the student planner, on the G-stick, and through the Capsule E-newsletter. Classroom presentations regarding the campaign are also an option that is being explored.
Through the year, an advisory group will monitor the progress of the campaign as it evolves and track successes and areas for improvement.
