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SVPP First-Year Experience

Introduction

Dartmouth students come to campus with very different backgrounds, levels of knowledge, and comfort in talking about sexual violence. The Sexual Violence Prevention Project (SVPP) First-Year Experience was intentionally designed through research and with the help of upper-level students to ensure all first-years are on the same page and can build on this foundation throughout their time at Dartmouth.  

The components of the SVPP First-Year Experience will introduce students to the following concepts regarding each of the four outcomes:

  • Foundational knowledge;
  • Our shared language, vision, and values;
  • Our expectations of behavior and the College's standards; 
  • Students' rights, rules, responsibilities, and resources; and
  • Skill building and practice. 

First-Year Components:

1.  Survey
(Purpose: Collects baseline data to begin to evaluate the effectiveness of the SVPP experience)

  • Culture, Behavior, and Experiences (CBE) survey* (closed)
     

2.  New Student Orientation
(Purpose: Provides foundational knowledge, shared language, the College's vision and values; expectations of behavior, Standards of Conduct, students' rights, rules and responsibilities, and resources)

3.  First-Year Sessions
(Purpose: Provide skill-building and practice in each of the four SVPP outcomes)

  • Sexual Violence Resources (fall term)
  • Relationship Goals (winter term)
  • EVERFI: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (winter term)
  • Recognizing Moments of Potential Harm (spring term)

Students will receive email communications throughout the year with information on completing their requirements. Due to COVID-19 all SVPP sessions will be provided online instead of in-person for the 2020-2021 academic year.

We all have a role to play

All undergraduate students are REQUIRED to complete their SVPP Student Experience each year. As a member of the Dartmouth community, every one of us has a role in creating a safe and supportive campus where sexual violence doesn't occur, and this four-year curriculum is intended to enhance students' skills to actively contribute to sexual violence prevention. The SVPP is asset-based and designed to cultivate and strengthen lifelong interpersonal leadership skills to be used both on campus and in the greater world. This curriculum is not intended to be punitive, however, in order to hold students accountable to their obligation, those who do not complete their annual SVPP Student Experience will be in violation of our Community Standards.

For more information visit our SVPP FAQ page.

* Evaluation is an integral part of the SVPP and will help us determine whether our prevention programs and interventions are effective and postively impacting our students.  We have intentionally built the CBE survey into students' annual SVPP Experience and have included pre and post surveys into SVPP sessions, but these evaluation/survey components of SVPP are not required. 

Requesting an extension or accommodation

If you are having difficulty completing your requirements for personal reasons and need additional time and/or an accommodation, please contact Amber Strock (SVPP Assistant) at SVPP@Dartmouth.edu to make arrangements. To request an accommodation or program waiver for a personal reason from a confidential resource, please contact Bailey Ray (WISE Campus Advocate) at campus@wiseuv.org or Daveen Litwin (College Chaplain) at College.Chaplain@dartmouth.edu.