James Wilkerson began his role at Indiana University Southeast on April 6th, 2020. He is a Kentuckiana native, born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in New Albany, Indiana. He received his Bachelors degree in English from the University of Louisville in 2006. Later, he would earn his Masters degree in Communication from Bellarmine University in 2013. He would then receive his Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville in 2018.

James’ career in higher education began at Ivy Tech Community College in 2010 where he served as an academic counselor. In 2011, he would join the admissions team at Bellarmine University as the minority recruitment counselor. There, Wilkerson would create the Multicultural Visit Program; a series of admission outreach events that focused on multicultural high school students. In 2014, Wilkerson would return to the University of Louisville as the Senior Program Coordinator for the African American Male Initiative. As the head of this program, Wilkerson would work to strengthen black male retention at the university and provide resources to raise the overall black male grade point average.

In 2015, Wilkerson began his role as an advocate for sexual assault prevention and healthy masculinity practices. This role has seen him guest lecture to numerous colleges, high schools, and Greek Life chapters, nationwide. He is also an accomplished TEDx speaker, speaking at TEDxBloomington in 2021, TEDxBellarmineU in 2022, and TEDxLakeSuperiorState in 2023. In addition to being published in numerous legal publications, Wilkerson has served as a regular columnist in the Louisville Eccentric Observer and the “I Taught the Law” online legal journal. His column “The Title IX Guy” focuses on matters of sexual assault, masculinity, and bystander intervention. In 2021, his book “The Title IX Guy” was published on Nanny Goat Press. It would be named a best seller in Amazon's Gender and Law genre. He would release his second book, "Consent Is ____: The Things They Didn't Teach You in Sex Ed in 2023. This book would also reach best seller status in the Gender and Law genre. Wilkerson also serves as a professor in the areas of gender studies and sex crimes. His signature course, Advanced Issues in Criminal Law: Sex Offenses, examines sex offenders and discusses their motives, the laws surrounding them, and various rehabilitation methods.

Wilkerson was named one of Louisville Business First’s "20 People to Know in Law" in 2019 and was inducted into the publication’s 2021 "Forty Under 40 class." In 2022, he would be named a part of Southern Indiana Business' "Twenty Under 40 class." Wilkerson has been named Best Local Writer twice in the LEO's Reader's Choice Award (2021 & 2022). He also serves on numerous boards including Louisville’s Domestic Violence Prevention Commission.

In his spare time, he loves to travel with his wife Alexandria and cheer on their favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings.

Audience: New fraternity candidates/fraternity members

Time: Approximately 1 hour

Synopsis: This presentation is a deconstruction of sexual consent. Audience members will learn what consent is, the types of consent there is, when they no longer have consent, what consent covers, how men can give consent and how consent is affected by alcohol. James uses stories from his undergraduate days as a fraternity member to provide examples that are relatable, entertaining, and educational in this engaging presentation.

Learning Objectives:

- The definition of consent.
- Express consent vs implied consent.
- How consent is withdrawn.
- The range of activities consent covers.
- Men giving consent and male victimhood.
- The effect of alcohol on consent.

Audience: While geared towards male students, this can be presented to all students

Time: 45 minutes

Synopsis: James’ signature presentation explores how sexual assault is a byproduct of toxic masculinity. The audience will make the connection of how dominion and entitlement allow the fruits of toxic masculinity to grow. James looks at the Incel community as well as stories from his experience as a fraternity member as examples of how toxic masculinity negatively effects organizations and sexual transactions. Lastly, the audience will learn how to combat toxic masculinity in their own organizations and turn it into healthy masculinity. James has turned this lecture into a TEDx Talk for TEDxBloomington. He has also presented this lecture at events such as Harvard University’s Sex Weekend.

Learning Objectives:

- The behaviors toxic masculinity produces.
- How toxic masculinity leads to sexual assault.
- The role that the desire for control and entitlement play in creating toxic masculinity.
- How older generations continue the cycle of toxic masculinity in our organizations.
- How to combat toxic masculinity when we see it as a team.

Audience: All students

Time: Approximately 1 hour

Synopsis: This presentation takes a deep dive into what sexual assault looks like in college, allowing student to learn what to call the things they encounter. Areas covered include how the law includes fear as an element of rape, the role drugs and alcohol play in rape/sodomy (depending on state law) and how “innocent” actions can be viewed as sexual abuse/misconduct. Students are also educated on resources available to them through campus, community, and legal resources. Finally, in a section called “The Things We Tell Girls,” the audience looks at several bits of common advice and how it should apply to all genders and sexes.

Learning Objectives:

- The role fear, substances, and “playing around” play in collegiate sexual assault.
- Campus and community resources that are available to students.
- Ways to approach collegiate sexual misconduct as a community.

Audience: All students

Time: Approximately 1 hour

Synopsis: This presentation focuses on a sexual assault that happened in 2016. On October 24th, a young girl was the victim of a gang rape in the courtyard of her high school during her homecoming dance. As the attack continued for over 2 hours, a group of people stood by and watched this attack. However no one acted to help her. Using this fact pattern, the audience is walked through the barriers that exist that stop people from getting involved, including the diffusion of responsibility and acting in socially acceptable ways. Next, the audience will learn different tools they can use to overcome their barriers and become active bystanders. These tools include direct action, intervention through interference, and intervention through delegation. Lastly, the audience will understand that sexual misconduct is in fact and community issue and as such, requires a community solution.

Learning Objectives:

- The barriers that prevent us from intervening.
- The tools in the bystander toolbox.
- Why we must approach sexual misconduct as a community.

What exactly is a microaggression? Is it really that bad? It is “micro” after all.

In this session, audience members will learn exactly what a micro aggression is, the many types that exist, and the three levels of intensity they can come in. The audience will also understand the common defenses that are deployed once a microaggression has happened. Wilkerson will walk the audience through the negative impact that microaggressions have on the mental, emotional, and physical health in students and organizations. Lastly, the audience will learn strategies necessary to counter and successfully “own” microaggressions as they happen.

- Define microaggressions.
- Analyze the types of microaggressions that exist.
- Review the typical defenses used by those who commit the microaggression.
- Recognize the negative impact microaggressions have on (1) individuals and (2) organizations.
- Demonstrate ways to counter-microaggressions.

Implicit bias is a DEI buzzword that we've all heard at some point. But what exactly is implicit bias and how does it affect our recruitment process?

In this session, audience members will learn the anatomy of the implicit bias including the role personal experience plays in its creation and just how prevalent this specific type of discrimination is. Audience members will also understand the negative impact implicit bias has on recruitment process in how it blinds us from selecting the best possible candidates for our chapters, universities, teams, or companies. Lastly, audience members will learn strategies to eliminate implicit bias from our recruitment processes.

Learning Objectives

- Define implicit bias is and the different types that exist.
- Investigate the negative effects it has on our recruitment process.
- Review strategies to eliminate explicit bias from recruitment.

Imposter syndrome is a common experience among students, characterized by feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, and fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of competence. This session aims to provide students with strategies to overcome imposter syndrome and thrive in their careers. Through a mix of empirical research, personal anecdotes, and practical tips, participants will gain insights into recognizing imposter syndrome, reframing negative self-talk, and building confidence in their professional abilities.

Learning Outcomes:

- Participants will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of imposter syndrome, including self-doubt, perfectionism, and fear of failure.
- Participants will explore the underlying beliefs and experiences that contribute to imposter syndrome.
- Participants will learn practical techniques for challenging negative self-talk and reframing unhelpful beliefs about their abilities.
- Participants will understand the importance of building a support network of mentors, peers, and allies in overcoming imposter syndrome.