For English instructor John Dobelbower, class time is an opportunity for students to learn how to recognize sexual harassment and what to do if confronted with it.
"Freshmen can have problems understanding what it is and what to do if they feel victimized," Dobelbower said.
Dobelbower's interesting and noble use of class time is nothing new.
For the past five years, Dobelbower has engaged his classes in learning activities that help illustrate sexual harassment.
Thursday, he engaged his English 114 class in a role-playing activity, putting the students in pairs and giving each group a different scenario to enact.
After each group performed, the class discussed the harassment scenarios and the actions that victims of similar situations should take.
"The most useful part of all of this is making students aware that there are types of behavior that they do not have to endure, and that there are ways of dealing with any sort of harassment or discrimination," Dobelbower said.
Dobelbower instructed his class to contact Sali Falling, executive director of University Compliance, if faced with a serious sexual harassment situation. Falling handles student complaints in these types of situations.
Obviously, sexual harassment is not the only type of harassment.
With that in mind, Dobelbower also discussed other harassment issues, such as age and dress discrimination.
The definition of sexual harassment is different from person to person, but people should still be aware of their own actions.
"In order to make everyone feel safe, you need to be aware of their feelings," freshman Corbisn Blackerby said.
With more faculty members like Dobelbower increasing awareness of sexual harassment, the university and student body could benefit greatly, creating a learning environment in which everyone can be comfortable.
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