Saint Xavier University will be hosting a myriad of events during its annual Diversity Week held Nov. 10-14. One of the events scheduled for the week is Safe Zone and Ally training for students, faculty, and staff at Saint Xavier University.
Students and faculty at Saint Xavier University will soon be able to display their support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community on campus.
The Safe Zone and Ally Training is being organized by Saint Xavier’s Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Multicultural Programming, Jose Vazquez.
“When I arrived at Saint Xavier University in July I noticed few offices at Saint Xavier had the Safe Zone sticker on them, which led me to ask about the last time Safe Zone Training took place. When I learned it had been a few years since the last training session I spoke with the Alliance on campus and the dean of students to bring the training session back.” Said Vasquez
The Safe Zone sticker serves a marker that faculty and can put on their office doors to show they have received training in how to respectfully speak with and help guide members of the LGBTQ community.
The Safe Zone Training session is to be held on Nov. 13 and meant to train current faculty and staff on campus by using lecture and interactive activities to educate them on the LGBTQ community.
The Safe Zone Training session will last two hours, and Vazquez hopes to offer the training at least once every semester. Vazquez, when setting up the program, reached out to a former colleague, Katy Weeseman, at DePaul University to help conduct the Safe Zone Training.
While the Safe Zone Training session is meant for faculty and staff only, Vazquez expressed his excitement for the Ally Training for the campus’s student body and local community.
The Ally Training session will be held on Nov. 13 in the Butler Reception Room from 12-1 p.m.
The session will last an hour in length and is meant to teach students the basics regarding the LGBTQ community including terminology, history, and how to act as an Ally.
Vazquez hopes that student turnout is strong for the event and has encouraged faculty to attend the event as well in the case that they cannot attend the Safe Zone training.
The training session for the students is meant to help get the local Saint Xavier Community involved.
However, Vazquez has not ruled out potentially finding a way bring Safe Zone training to students.
Vazquez explained that he views the whole campus as a welcoming environment for LGBTQ students, but the sticker highlights that notion.
The Ally Training is also mandatory for the SXU RSOs who will be using the 2 p.m. session as their November ROOTs meeting.
When discussing how the training sessions will help the campus community, Vazquez explained how the sessions are aimed at teaching students and faculty how to respectfully speak with members of the LGBTQ community and learn how to handle student abuse that may be directed at these students.
“We are not necessarily telling students an faculty how to speak with students about all of their issues regarding abuse they may face being part of the LGBTQ community, but we are showing students and faculty where to guide victims so they can reach the proper help they need,” said Vazquez.
Guidance is a key part of the programs laid out for Diversity Week and it is encouraged that as many students and staff as possible take part in the training sessions.
Vazquez also noted that faculty who are interested in attending the Safe Zone training must RSVP with the Campus Life Office at 773-341-5060 in order to attend the session located on the fourth floor board room at 9-11 a.m.
A multitude of other events are planned for Diversity Week this November and will be officially announced in the upcoming week.
Be sure to keep an eye out on campus for posters and fliers laying out the week’s events and official times.
Jake Alleruzzo
Senior News Editor