Faculty Award: Jill Christman, Professor of English

Jill Christman, Professor of English
Indelible: Campus Sexual Violence Project

This 15-hour seminar ran in fall 2019 at the Virginia Ball Center for Creativity Inquiry. Working with partners at The Facing Project and Jana's Campaign, the project examined sexual violence and Title IX implementation on our nation's campuses and the role storytelling plays in making change. Jill's interdisciplinary students came from Creative Writing, Rhetoric and Writing, Literature, English Education, Telecommunications, Women and Gender Studies, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Speech and Audiology, and Accounting. Together they produced a podcast, documentary, website, social media platform, and conversation about sexual violence on campuses across our country.

Indelible's model of student-initiated change, programming, and podcasts have had an impact on a variety of audiences. Locally, the team hosted a self-defense class in November (taught by Trounce Martial Arts), worked with the Student Government Association for legislative change, and distilled policy recommendations for Ball State administration. They also held an Elemental empowerment self-defense class (taught by Mellisa Holtzman) in collaboration with Muncie's Corner Mat yoga studio for high school and college students. Nationally, Indelible's podcasts and materials have been disseminated to a nationwide audience as part of the Jana's Campaign mission to provide "education about and prevention against gender and relationship violence," particularly in our schools. The Indelible team gave a presentation at the Jana's Campaign 2020 (virtual) Midwest Safety Summit and has been invited to the Chicago summit in fall 2021.

The project's primary objective was to never give up on making the world a better, safer, more equitable, and inclusive place for all. A year and a half later, Indelible continues to deliver on this objective. Congratulations, Jill, on this outstanding VBC seminar.