Sexual Health, Advocacy and Relationship Education (SHARE) is the student-driven, trauma-informed and survivor-centered program at Reed College which provides resources, services and information pertaining to both sexual and relationship violence prevention and the promotion of healthy sexuality and relationships
Our mission is to foster a safe and supportive campus. We are committed to cultivating and inspiring a culture on campus that values autonomy, mutual respect and the full realization of consent. We do so by offering confidential, survivor-centered advocacy services; facilitating connections to resources on and off campus; harm reduction and bystander intervention education; and resources encouraging healthy sexuality and relationships.
All SHARE Staff are here to help navigate campus resources and advocate for real culture change in support of those with personal or allied experiences of sexual and relationship violence. The Night Owls roam campus on weekend nights with a backpack full of resources for reducing harm and an embodied knowledge of campus resources and nonviolent intervention strategies. Our Peer Educators support our campus by promoting a culture of consent and respect by providing violence prevention and healthy relationships education to students and the broader campus community. Students can ask them about options and resources following experiences of sexual and relationship violence, or for information about all things SHARE. Our sexual health supply program, SHARE Package, coordinates the delivery of free, discreet safer sex supplies to students on and off campus. And lastly, the Program Director is also the Confidential Advocate on campus, providing support to students who have experienced any kind of interpersonal violence. They are also who to go to for technical support, supervision, program and project questions and general advising for all of SHARE Programs.
We do some of our work in collaboration with the HCC, Community Safety and Title IX. We work with departments all across campus depending on outreach for training, questions about survivor support, or general advocacy and supportive measure endorsement. We frequently provide support, education and consultation to other student groups on campus, such as J-Board, Housing Advisors and student clubs.
A Note on Supervision:
Supervisors are responsible for setting and communicating reasonable expectations for their role. They provide support and technical assistance in the form of routine training, consultation and feedback. Supervisors provide information about the relevant policies for student work and can direct you to resources for more information. They are also here to help navigate conflict and connect you to the right resources should harm occur. Much of this information is been provided in the Student Worker Handbook and for SHARE staff, the SHARE Student Employee Manual.
In brief, expectations of SHARE student workers are to abide by the SHARE’s mission and values, be a positive role model for all of campus, and to represent yourself, and SHARE, as a trusted peer resource for support, education and resources. If Issues arise related to alignment with the mission and values, meeting expectations of the role, or in demonstrating care for yourself and others, you may be asked to attend a supervision meeting to review our options and seek ways to support your continued development in the role.
All SHARE Students are supervised by the SHARE Program Director, L. Mattson. As a Night Owl, you are also supervised by your Field Supervisors, the Night Owl Captains. If you are seeking support about conduct from a Night Owl Captain, reach out to your SHARE Program Director, L. Mattson.
If you are seeking support about conduct from the SHARE Program Director, reach out to their supervisors–the Associate Dean for Health & Well-Being, Yasodha Gopal. You can also reach out to your Night Owl Captains, who can contact the ADHW about the issue.
If we keep going up the supervision ladder, the Assoc. Dean for Health & Wellbeing reports to the Vice President of Student Life, Karnell McConnell-Black. The Vice President of Student Life reports to the President of the College, Audrey Bilger. And after that, the Board. And after that? The Doyle Owl.
Below is a model of the flow of supervision for Night Owls:
In general, if you have questions about student work, you can reach out to the Student Work Coordinator: Kat Buckspan at studentwork@reed.edu. For payroll, you can reach out to Dawn Derry, the Student PayRoll Specialist, at derryd@reed.edu
- What is a Night Owl?
From the Community Safety “Night Owl Operations” Directive
The Night Owl program is intended to increase the safety of Reed students and campus visitors during weekend evenings by providing friendly, sober outreach and support, intervening as bystanders when safe and appropriate, and contacting Community Safety to assist in situations that may require more extensive assessment and intervention.
Night Owls enhance student safety through early detection of potential medical or psychological emergencies, including alcohol and other drug overuse, interpersonal conflicts and environmental hazards.
- Night Owls have the following primary responsibilities
- Visit areas on-campus where students congregate
- Engage and interact with individuals in a friendly, non-judgmental manner, providing water, snacks and ear plugs as requested
- Observe individuals and environmental conditions for signs of safety issues
- Provide support for students who appear to be in distress or need assistance
- Contact Community Safety for observed or reported personal or environmental safety and security issues
- Quick reference
- Night Owls are employed by the SHARE Program, and supervised by the Program Director. Field supervision is by the Night Owl Captains, and supported by CSOs.
- Night Owls always work in teams of two trained students
- Night Owls have no role in providing security or enforcing college policy
- Night Owls will notify Community Safety dispatch when they begin and end a shift
- Night Owls may report environmental safety hazards (e.g., burned out lights, broken doors, injury hazards, etc.) and individuals who need assistance or evaluation to Community Safety, and monitor the situation until Community Safety arrives
- Night Owls do not provide safety escorts. If a student declines a safety escort from Community Safety, Night Owls may accompany a student on campus.
- A Brief Night Owl Program History
The Night Owl program was established jointly by the Community Safety Department and the Health & Counseling Center in 2011, and loosely based on the traditional student-led safety and wellbeing patrols originally conceived for the annual Renn Fayre celebration. The “karma” and “bagel” patrol were names used historically. The impetus for the Night Owl program was an emerging belief that students would be better able to circulate among and engage with their peers than CSOs, or other professional staff, during student events and times typically active for informal social gatherings. The collaboration between Community Safety and Health & Counseling was designed to maximize the training and oversight for Night Owls, while preserving their ability as students to interact with their peers. Ultimately an agreement was reached where Night Owls are hired and overseen principally by the HCC, with CS providing additional training, and support in the field.
In 2018, the program was moved to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, and increased its focus on safe bystander intervention. In 2019, as part of the reorganization of the SAPR program into the SHARE Program, the SAPR Steward program was merged into the Night Owl program. Night Owls continue to move through campus to provide friendly, sober support and bystander intervention support at student-run events in the Student Union, Pool Hall and other on-campus locations.