SAAM: It’s more than just one month

Each year, the United States designates April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Throughout the month, people raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities with prevention efforts.

Since the last Sexual Assault Awareness Month, there have been a variety of important events related to combatting sexual assault on college campuses.

Legal Developments

On April 1, 2014, the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee reached consensus on new rules implementing the changes made by the 2013 Violence Against Women Act to the Clery Act. Those rules have now been finalized and will officially go into effect this June. 

Another big legal occurrence was the convening of the the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault and the release of its first report. NotAlone.gov was also launched in connection with the release of the report and provides additional reports and resources for students, schools, and organizations. 

It’s On Us

In September, NASPA created the #SAPledge in support of the White House’s It’s On Us campaign, which focuses on college and university campuses and challenges everyone to see sexual assault as their own personal responsibility. Since September, nearly 1,000 student affairs professionals have made the pledge to stop gender-based violence on their campus.

NASPA’s Expansion of its Sexual Violence Prevention Activities and Resources

In September of 2014, NASPA hired Nancy Chi Cantalupo to the organization as its Associate Vice President for Equity, Inclusion and Violence Prevention. 

5 Things Brief

Written by Nancy Chi Cantalupo, the 5 Things Brief is a useful guide for student affairs professionals at all levels in addressing gender-based violence on campus. Beginning with a review of the current legislative environment, the brief provides a functional framework from which student affairs professionals can launch their own programs.  It also provides a list of legal resources on the topic.

Addressing Gender-Based Violence

The Addressing Gender-Based Violence series of online short courses provides information and training for student affairs and other educational professionals on a wide range of topics that will assist professionals at all levels—from first responders to vice presidents—to understand, comply with, and implement laws and best practices for addressing gender-based violence at their institutions.

Led by NASPA’s Nancy Chi Cantalupo and other experts in the field, this online curriculum aims to empower learners to develop their understanding of this violence and their skills and abilities to think critically and creatively, to problem-solve, and to identify and assess fair, equitable, and trauma-informed practices for addressing gender-based violence in their institutions.

The online program is orientated toward faculty, staff, and other student affairs professionals. It’s not only going to include how to prevent gender-based violence on your campus, but it will cover policies, procedures, and what to do before, during and after individual cases on your campus.

Registrants are recommended to begin with the Addressing Gender-Based Violence: Fundamentals course as it gives an overview of the topic and sets the stage for the other courses. Each of the other courses will provide the deeper dives needed for institutions to fully address and combat this violence on their campuses. 

NASPA recognizes the ever-increasing pressure campuses are facing to combat gender-based violence and we are committed to being leaders in this ongoing effort to increase equity and inclusion and prevent violence in higher education communities through campaigns, educational courses, and more.

There are many ways you can help prevent violence on your campus. This month specifically, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center has provided SAAM 2015 campaign resources for campus violence prevention. Along with planning tools, graphics, and a social media toolkit, students on your campus can help spread awareness and advocate for social change using the resources found on NSVRC’s SAAM website.

Sexual violence is a too-common occurrence on college and university campuses, and it is vital that student affairs administrators can access resources both to prevent this violence and respond to the needs of victims when it happens. 

Although it’s important to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month and raise awareness on your campus, don’t let it be something you do once a year.

Whether it’s SAAM or not, NASPA is here to provide information about how institutions can seek to prevent and respond to this violence in a comprehensive way. Check out our Violence Prevention page and learn more about the online short course series on Addressing Gender-Based Violence.