Building a Culture of Consent at the University of Toronto – Frequently Asked Questions

Building a Culture of Consent at the University of Toronto: Consent, Communication, and Sexual Violence Prevention Education Module for Students is a module intended to teach students about consent and how to incorporate the concept of consent into building healthy boundaries, communication, and consent practices within relationships. The module addresses sexual violence, the landscape in which sexual violence occurs, and available on- and off-campus support services for survivors of sexual violence. 

As of September 2024, all students living in a University of Toronto Residence, must complete this module (excluding those living at UTM Family/Graduate Housing, UTSG Family Housing and CampusOne). This requirement applies to students in Graduate House and students who have previously lived in residence and are returning to a residence building.  

The module is to be completed virtually and should take about 1 hour. The module is complete when you reach the section that generates a certificate of completion. You do not need to share the certificate as administrators can access completion records directly in the web-based learning platform, but you are encouraged to keep it for your records.

Quick Links

Building a Culture of Consent – Module Audio
Building a Culture of Consent – Module Instructions
Building a Culture of Consent – Module Glossary
Building a Culture of Consent – Module Development

Open the Building a Culture of Consent Module

Frequently Asked Questions

Residence Requirements and Technical Support

The training must be completed before moving into residence to ensure students start their academic year prepared to contribute to a safe, caring campus community where consensual behaviour is the norm. The module includes important, foundational knowledge required to build-up a culture of consent at U of T. 

At this time the module is required for all students living in residence, including those operated by federated colleges, with the exception of UTM Family/Graduate Housing, UTSG Family Housing and CampusOne. Completion of the module is a required component of your residence contract if you are living in: Chestnut Residence, Innis College, New College, Parkside Student Residence, St. Michael’s College, Trinity College, University College, Victoria College, Woodsworth College, Loretto College, Graduate House, Knox Residence, Oak House, U of T Mississauga residences, U of T Scarborough residences. 

If you completed the online module in 2024 as part of your residency requirements, you do not need to complete it again for 2025.  Please contact your residence if you are unsure if you have already completed the module.

When you have completed the module content, there are two final steps you can take:

  1. Generate a Certificate of Completion: You can fill in your name to generate a time and date-stamped Certificate of Completion. If you are a student living in residence or completing this as part of an education assignment, you may be required to submit your Certificate of Completion. Please note that after you have submitted your completion to Quercus, you will not be able to re-enter the module to generate this certificate.
  2. Submit Your Module Completion to Quercus: To submit your module completion to Quercus, proceed to the last section of the module and click ‘FINISH MODULE’ to record your completion in Quercus. If you do not click the ‘FINISH MODULE’ button, your completion will not be recorded. Once you click the ‘FINISH MODULE’ button, you will not be able to return to the module.

Please Note: This module has a quick exit button in the top right corner that says ‘EXIT MODULE’. If you click the ‘EXIT MODULE’ button, you will end your module session whether or not you have completed the module. If you return to the module after using the ‘EXIT MODULE’ button, you will need to start at the beginning of the module.

You will need to complete the module in advance of the date you plan to attend the University/move into residence. 

At this time completion of the online module is only required for students living in residence, with the exception of UTM Family/Graduate Housing, UTSG Family Housing and CampusOne. However, any students at the University are welcome to take the training regardless of where they will be living.

Yes – if you are an exchange student or transfer student who will be living in a U of T residence, with the exception of UTM Family/Graduate Housing, UTSG Family Housing and CampusOne, you must complete the online module.

If you are unable to meet the deadline, please send an email to your residence for further instructions. 

JOINid is the first credential you receive when you initially apply to U of T, which gives you limited access to some U of T services. Once you are admitted to U of T, you need to convert your JOINid to a UTORid, which provides access to a much wider range of services. You can use either a JOINid or a UTORid to complete this module.

Your JOINid can be found on your Offer of Acceptance letter, along with your student number. To activate your UTORid you will need to submit a photo and documentation to verify your identity and legal status. Learn more by visiting the TCard website, and reach-out to your registrar or the TCard office if you encounter any issues. 

This module is designed to allow participants to take breaks and return directly to where they left off. If you exit the module unexpectedly you should be able to easily re-enter the module in the correct section by logging into Quercus and selecting the module from your dashboard. 

Confirmation of module completion will be accessible via the online learning platform to a limited number of residence staff who have been chosen to as module administrators. Student staff, including Residence Assistants/Dons, will not have access to this data and cannot confirm your completion. 

You must complete the full module section to get to the Knowledge Check questions, and you may retake the Knowledge Check quiz questions as many times as you need. A passing grade of 80% is required to complete the module. 

General Questions about the Module

This module is fully accessible via screen reader. Additionally, where images are present, alt-text is provided, and separate audio files are available for each section of the module on our website.

The content shared within this module may be challenging and difficult for some. You are encouraged to take care of yourself as you complete this module. This could include pausing to take breaks, completing the module with a friend, journaling about your reactions to the information, or taking other steps that feel appropriate and useful for you. You can exit at any time and re-enter the module in the correct section by logging into Quercus and selecting the module from your dashboard. Please note that if you close the web browser you were completing the module in, your progress may not be saved. 

A comprehensive list of on- and off-campus resources is available on our website.  

If you are concerned with your ability to complete this module due to your own personal experience of sexual violence or sexual harassment, please reach out to svpsprograms@utoronto.ca.

This asynchronous online module will address the following learning outcomes:  

  • A Culture of Consent: Students will visualize and reinforce the co-creation of a culture of consent with healthy relationships where all members of the University community can study, work, and live free from sexual violence. 
  • Intersectional Context of Gender-Based and Sexual Violence: Students will examine the landscape of gender-based violence and sexual violence using an intersectional framework and the role of power, privilege, and oppression. 
  • Consent in Action: This section will support normalizing the practice of consent and engagement in conversations about consent to promote healthy relationships.
    • Students will explore what setting boundaries, practicing consent, and communicating effectively looks, sounds, and feels like. 
    • Students will engage with practical, applied examples of consent to build their culture of consent skillset. 
  • Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment: Students will learn about U of T’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment and its relevance to their daily lives at the University. 
  • Support and Resources:
    • Students will be introduced to and practice supportive responses that they can use if someone tells them about an experience of sexual violence or harassment, and where and how they can build their responding to disclosures skillset. 
    • Students will learn about the support services offered at the tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre. 
    • Students will gain information about how to access U of T services and community-based resources for support. 

While the module provides an overview of the U of T’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (the Policy), it does not provide legal advice or definitive interpretations of the Policy or its processes. If you have questions about the Policy you can contact the Centre at svpscentre@utoronto.ca. 

The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre is deeply invested in educational initiatives that work towards the creation of a culture of consent on campus. This violence prevention work is done primarily through workshops, trainings, and campaigns on gender-based violence prevention, how to practice meaningful consent, healthy relationships skills, healing resources for survivors, self-care, trauma-informed approaches to disclosure responses, and more.   

You can learn more about the themes explored in the online module by signing-up for our upcoming programming, joining one of our ongoing sessions, subscribing to our Listserv, following us on social media, or requesting additional training using our training request form.  

All feedback is welcome and reviewed on a regular basis. There is a link to an anonymous form at the end of the module that you can complete to share your thoughts with the SVPS Centre directly.

The SVPS Centre works to create a campus environment where all members of the University community can study, work and live free from sexual violence. You can learn more about what we do by visiting our website. For regular updates about services, training opportunities, and programming, you can subscribe to our Listserv and follow us on social media.  

Have a question not answered here? For questions about residence requirements and technical support, contact your residence. For questions about the online module content, please email the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre at svpscentre@utoronto.ca