Campus collaboration defined this year’s Consent Week, as student groups, services, and Kingston partners came together to promote a culture of consent.
Consent Week 2025 ran from Sept. 14 to 19 across Canadian campuses, promoting a stronger culture of consent, support, and solidarity. The event takes place during the “Red Zone,” the first weeks of the semester when students are at higher risk of sexual violence.
To mark Consent Week, the University hosted a series of events organized by the Consent at Queen’s Working Group, chaired by Rebecca Rappeport of Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Services (SVPRS). The group brings together student leaders and staff from the AMS, SGPS, Residence Life, Student Wellness Services, and academic societies.
“Consent Week demonstrates the strength of student leadership and campus-community collaboration at Queen’s,” Rappeport wrote in a statement to The Journal. “It’s a visible reminder that creating a culture of consent is a shared responsibility, and that together, students, staff, and partners are building something lasting: stronger partnerships, increased awareness, and a safer, more supportive campus for everyone.”
This year’s theme focused on the five components of consent, known as the FRIES model: freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic, and specific. The model came to life through a variety of events, including Women’s Rugby’s FRIES-themed game and the Campus Affairs Commission’s “Free Fries” campaign, which distributed coupons for free fries from the Queen’s Pub while sparking conversations about consent.
“Tied to the FRIES model of consent […], the campaign aimed to make conversations about consent more accessible by inviting students to share what consent means to them while picking up coupons,” Campus Affairs Commissioner Ali Hussein wrote in a statement to The Journal.
SVPRS hosted an Instagram Live with the Sexual Assault Centre Kingston and Interval House, which Rappeport said highlighted “The importance of survivor support and community connection.” The We Believe Survivors event connected students with community resources, such as Peer Health Educators, The Nest, Trellis, Levana, the Ban Righ Centre, and more, over lunch.
Athletics also participated, with SVPRS delivering prevention and disclosure response workshops to rugby and volleyball teams, in addition to the Women’s Rugby FRIES-themed game.
“Consent isn’t just a one-time conversation or a weeklong theme,” Hussein wrote. “It’s an ongoing practice.”
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