All members of the Centennial College (the "College") community have a right to work, study, and live in an environment that is free from sexual violence and/or sexual misconduct.
To foster such an environment, it is important to understand what it means to 'Consent' to a sexual act.
Consent is:
The voluntary and explicit agreement to engage in some manner of sexual activity. It is the act of willingly and in the moment agreement to engage in specific sexual behaviour.
Consent includes:
- Clearly saying "yes" to show willingness for the sexual activity.
- Making sure there's ongoing agreement between parties throughout all stages of the sexual engagement.
- Being aware that the person you're involved with sexually is not a minor or in a situation where they cannot agree (e.g., drunk, or asleep).
When it comes to consent, we must also understand that:
- Silence or non-communication is not consent.
- Consent cannot be assumed, implied, or given on behalf of another person.
- A person is not able to give consent if they are drunk, high, asleep, unconscious, or otherwise unable to communicate.
- A person who has been threatened or forced into sexual activity cannot consent to it.
- A person may be unable to consent if they have a mental disability preventing them from fully understanding the sexual act(s).
- A person is not able to give consent to someone in a position of trust, power, or authority, such as a faculty member or someone you report to.
- A person can stop consenting at any point during a sexual act.