This short paper will address the impact of violence in the lives of students and how it affects their learning, their sense of academic potential and vision for their future. Session participants will be invited to engage with how we as teachers and administrators can collaborate to create learning environments that are responsive and flexible in addressing students' diverse learning needs.
Over the past two decases there has been an increased commitment to create safe university and college campuses and to address issues of violence in intimate or dating relationships. Yet little has been done proactively to acknowledge and address the needs of students who have experienced violence in their home. Women students and those who identify as LGBTTQ are particualrly affected by the trauma of violence in their lives. They are often not able to concentrate, complete assignments, feel confident or engage in class or co-curricular activities
Teachers are often the first people students share their experience with, yet we are not trained to response to such trauma. Responding to the harm and violence in students' lives is critical to the success of our increasingly diverse student populations - it's a new dimension to our roles in cultivating a welcoming and comprehensive learning community.