Appointments

RASAN Appointment System: Reimagined

Since the launch of the RASAN Appointment System in Spring 2022, we haven’t seen students make use of the system in the way we had hoped. This tells us that perhaps the system isn’t supporting our community in the best way possible. In recognition of this, the Board elected to pause our current appointment system in Fall 2022 as we work with the Williams community to understand what systems and practices best meet the needs of survivors and their loved ones.

During this time of reimagination, we remain committed to providing support to any community member who needs it. Many students tell us that they reach RASAN resources through word of mouth, either knowing a Certified RASAN Member or being a few degrees separated such that students can reach out to our members directly. Given this knowledge, we invite any student needing support to browse the list of Certified RASAN Members on the ‘Who We Are’ page and reach out to any members that they know, in the way that works best for them.

We recognize that while many students know a Certified RASAN Member, this is not the case for all students. Any student who is looking for support can reach out to us via email at [email protected]. RASAN President Kaiz Esmail ’23 (he/him/his) will monitor this email and connect student seeking support to Certified RASAN Members. We encourage students to send an email to us from a personal email account, and not use their Williams email, to help protect student confidentiality. We’ll respond via email or text (using a Google Voice number if you elect to include your phone number in the email — which we recommend since SMS transcripts are generally harder to subpoena than emails) to connect students with one of our members.

We encourage anyone with input on best systems and practices to reach out to us. Students with feedback related to RASAN’s systems should email RASAN President Kaiz Esmail ’23 (he/him/his) at [email protected]. Again, to protect student confidentiality, we recommend that students not email Kaiz at his Williams email address if they’re looking for support from one of our members.

RASAN Appointment System

Welcome to the new Williams RASAN appointment system!

We are currently offering students 30-minute appointment slots with the RASAN member of their choosing. At this time, all appointments will be conducted over the phone. Individuals may remain anonymous, but must provide their phone number so that the RASAN member can send a confirmation text and make the call at the time of the appointment. As in the previous system, the conversation will remain confidential to the best of our ability, unless there is reason to believe someone is in danger of harming themselves or others.

Scheduling

In order to schedule an appointment, please follow these simple steps:

1. Go to our appointlet page.
2. Select an appointment on the calendar that accommodates your schedule and caller preferences.
3. You will then be asked for some basic information:
   1. Name: enter whatever you would like to be addressed by! You can enter your real name, a nickname, or a pseudonym if you prefer to stay anonymous.
   2. Phone number: please enter your real phone number as this is how we will get in contact for the appointment.
   3. Email: enter the general Williams email, [email protected]. No need to provide your own email.

4. You will receive a confirmation text from your assigned RASAN member within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment. 
5. At the time of your appointment, your selected RASAN member will call the number you provided.

Cancellations

We’re still working on developing our cancellations policy. As of right now, you can’t cancel appointments.

Questions

If you have any further questions regarding our appointment system, or the RASAN organization more broadly, please reach out to a member of the Board.

A Note About Confidentiality

We will keep our conversation confidential to the best of our ability, unless we believe you are in danger of harming yourself or others. You may choose to remain anonymous; however, you must provide a phone number so that we may send you a confirmation text and make a call to you at the time of your appointment.

Your information is processed in accordance with Appointlet’s and Google’s privacy policies.

A Note To the Williams Community

Dear Williams Community,

We hope this message finds you well as you transition into the new semester!
RASAN is making alterations to its 24-hour on-call hotline that will be effective February 14, 2022. 

The Williams College Rape and Sexual Assault Network (RASAN) seeks to support all survivors and those affected by the entire spectrum of sexually violent behavior, including but not limited to sexual assault, dating violence, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, incest, sexual abuse, and any other breach of consent, regardless of the survivor’s background or experiences. RASAN strives to connect any interested member of the Williams community with any and all appropriate resources for additional support, awareness, and education. Previously, RASAN operated under a 24-hour confidential hotline system in which members of the Williams community could call the hotline and receive a call-back from a certified RASAN member within 15 minutes. 

Over the past few years, RASAN has observed a shift in the way that the student body accesses peer support. There has been less utilization of the hotline system, and an increasing number of in-person referrals directly to RASAN members. For this reason, we feel that changing the format of our support system from a 24-hour hotline, to one conducive to scheduled, appointment-based conversations, would better direct RASAN’s resources to fulfil the needs of the Williams community. 

Students can sign up for 30-minute appointment slots with the RASAN member of their choosing on a calendar located under the appointment tab on the RASAN webpage. At this time, all appointments will be conducted over the phone, however, we ultimately hope to be able to accommodate an in-person option as well. Individuals may remain anonymous, but must provide their phone number so that the RASAN member can send a confirmation text and make the call at the time of the appointment. As in the previous system, the conversation will remain confidential to the best of our ability, unless there is reason to believe someone is in danger of harming themselves or others.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact:

• RASAN Co-Chairs Emily Lock ([email protected]) and Gabby Granata ([email protected])
• Director of Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Meg Bossong ([email protected])
• Violence Prevention Coordinator Allison Jasso ([email protected])

Please remember that while the RASAN system is moving away from being an on-call system, there are many other confidential 24-hour hotlines available to students: 

• SASS: (413)-597-3000 (on-campus resource operational during the summer)
• Elizabeth Freeman Center: (866)-401-2425
• Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN): 1-(800)-656-4673
• RAINN Online Chat Hotline: https://hotline.rainn.org
• The Network/La Red (LGTBQ-specific resources): 617-742-4911