UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES
Michael is known for some pretty mesmerizing talks and engaging workshops. He has spoken on campuses across the United States, Canada and around the world.
Many campuses create a one, two, or three day program that includes some of the following elements:
- Talks: Most popular of all are his educational and inspirational talks on creating good relationships and ending dating violence. Typically, his talks are ¾ – 1¼ hours (plus, when possible, time for questions and discussion.)
- Seminars & workshops: For student leaders, residence-life staff, athletes, members of fraternities and sororities, or simply a group of interested students.
- Class lectures and seminars: A former professor himself, Michael often is asked to teach a class, ranging from women’s and gender studies, to sociology or political science, and English.
- Faculty and staff training: Innovative training with faculty and staff focused on understanding and responding to the changing world of young men. Other training focuses on preventing sexual harassment among staff and faculty.
.
Michael’s powerful talks draw on his roots in storytelling, his scholarly research, and his work around the world. He weaves together humor, stories, and clear analysis for an event that is educational and entertaining, positive and inspiring. Topics include:
- Man Talk! (Sometimes with the subtitle: The Biggest Sexual Organ in the World and the Three Secrets of a Great Relationship.) We’ve all heard the jokes, but the truth is, most guys care. Men want to be in a relationship that leaves everyone feeling good. Guys want the women we care about to feel safe. This talk, full of stories, humor, and packed with information, looks at the root causes of dating violence and the breakdown in communication in relationships. It challenges stereotypes and the actions of some men, but does not dump on guys. Although this informative talk deals with some serious issues, it’s fun and very positive. It gets to the heart and soul (and, yes, other things) of how to build relationships that will make you feel good. Focusing on building trust and good communications, it’s a real crowd pleaser.
- We Can End Violence Against Women! Far too many women face a grave threat each and every day. How can we end physical, sexual, and emotional violence against women? This talk, drawing on Michael Kaufman’s pioneering work around the world with the United Nations and his role as co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, analyzes the root causes of this violence and charts an optimistic pathway for women and men to work together to end the violence.
- Men and Women: Working Together for [a] Change. Age-old ideas of how girls and women should behave are being swept away. Now, the lives of boys and men are also beginning to change. This talk looks at how we create our ideas of being a proper woman or a real man. It looks at the discrimination women and girls have faced, but also at the costs of these ideas to men and boys. It focuses in particular at how our ideas of manhood are changing and how this will be good for both women and men..
Please contact Michael at: 
.
All the above (plus topics of your choice) can be developed as a seminar or workshop for residence-life staff, student leaders, athletes, members of fraternities and sororities, or simply a group of interested students. Seminars can be as short at 45 minutes. Workshops last from 1½ hours to up to a full day. Whatever the length, they develop a space where we can draw on our own experiences to openly explore the issues.
.
Dr. Kaufman interactive and engaging training focuses on two areas:
One is helping faculty and staff understanding the changing world of male students and how to more successfully program (and teach) to engage young men.
The other relates to internal faculty or staff dynamics: on preventing harassment (including sexual, homophobic, racial, and religious harassment) and promoting gender sensitivity. Harassment and poisoned work environments can be a big problem in educational environments. The costs are many: harassment can lead to poisoned work environments and classrooms, low morale, individual disgrace, student dissatisfaction, and departments that pit some faculty and staff against others. Workplaces where women are not treated with respect and fairness lead to absenteeism, poor performance, and high turnover. Unearthing the causes of these problems requires more than policy or a complaints procedure. It requires faculty and staff to understand attitudes and behaviors that lead to unlawful, disruptive, or unwelcome behavior. It requires they know the positive role they can play in ensuring human rights on our campuses. This training also gives supervisors the practical tools to prevent and respond to harassment when it occurs.
Michael customizes his training packages for staff and faculty, with training sessions lasting from a couple of hours to a full day.
For more information, please contact Michael at
