To Our Campus Community Members,

April marks the spring “It’s On Us” Week of Action and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In preparation for these two important observances, dedicated groups of students, volunteers, university offices and many others, have coordinated opportunities for the campus community to raise awareness about sexual and relationship violence and demonstrate support for victims and survivors. On behalf of the members of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence, we ask students, faculty and staff to once again join in the national effort to end sexual and relationship violence.

SU’s It’s On Us Week of Action is April 3-7, the first series of events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The week of action includes an office decorating contest, It’s On Us to Be Orange trainings, and tabling in the student centers. Additionally, the week includes a screening of the documentary “The Invisible War,” followed by a panel discussion, on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in the College of Law.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month continues with a Tie Dye for Sexual Empowerment event;, a Q&A session with Equal Opportunity; Inclusion and Resolution Services; special editions of Culture of Consent; and the Survivor Love Letters project. The month’s keynote speaker, Art Against Assault’s Mirabelle Jones, will discuss how art can be used for survivor advocacy and trauma therapy. Her talk is Monday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Gifford Auditorium.

These programs and events offer ways to engage in important dialogue, to learn about prevention and education, and to demonstrate our community’s commitment to ending sexual violence. We encourage everyone to get involved. To learn more about these efforts, visit healthpromotion.syr.edu.

During this month of programming, we also want to remind students of the resources available on campus. If you have been impacted by sexual or relationship violence, contact our Sexual and Relationship Violence Response Team at the Counseling Center at 315.443.4715. The team provides confidential support, advocacy and discussion of reporting options 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We each play a role in ending sexual violence.  Join us in creating an environment where all members of our community feel safe and supported.

Sincerely,

Joanna O. Masingila, Dean, School of Education

Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, Interim Senior Associate Vice President and Dean, Enrollment and the Student Experience

Co-Chairs, Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence

Published on April 5, 2017 at 10:41 am