Calling on administrators: Fully fund the violence prevention coordinator
This is the Our View, prepared by the Editorial Board and should be considered the institutional voice of The Record.
*Editor’s Note: The following editorial discusses sexual assault and may contain descriptions of traumatic experiences that could be upsetting for survivors of sexual assault or those who have experienced similar forms of trauma. Please proceed with caution and seek support from CSB+SJU counseling services if you feel overwhelmed by this content.*
Last week, The Record reported that the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ) focused on violence prevention was not renewed for the 2023-2024 academic year. The grant, a part of the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking on Campus Program is administered by the OVW and authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994.
At CSB+SJU, the funds have been used to support the creation of a violence prevention coordinator position, which is currently held by Dani Lindner. The grant also supported CSB+SJU’s investment in sexual assault prevention programs such as Project EMBRACE and the BEST Party Curriculum. After the grant was not renewed, the administration chose not to supplement the funding beyond this academic year, and the violence prevention coordinator position will be discontinued at the end of the school year. Isolated, this news is straightforward: a grant was not renewed, and the institution chose not to continue its funding. However, considering national statistics and, more locally, last year’s alleged sex competition in Pat Hall and an on-campus rise in sexual assault, rape, fondling and dating violence as reported in the Oct. 20 edition of The Record, the lack of institutional support is a mistake.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence or incapacitation. Further, the U.S. Department of Justice reports 90% of campus sexual assaults are committed by perpetrators that the victim knows. Amid Sexual Assault Awareness Month and with Denim Day this past Wednesday, this issue is salient as ever. Denim Day commemorates the court case of an 18-year-old Italian woman who was raped by her 45-year-old driving instructor.
The instructor successfully appealed the case, arguing that the sex was consensual because she was wearing tight jeans that she would have been unable to take off without his help. In response, Italian women wore denim in support, a symbol that has taken off globally. Every year at CSB+SJU, CERTS provides students with resources about sexual assault prevention and resources to help survivors. They also construct a powerful display full of jean patches on both campuses with messages of support to survivors written across them. With funding and institutional support, events like these have the potential to become even more impactful and aid in combatting a culture of sexual harrassment and abuse on campus.
Unfortunately, projects like these haven’t been deemed a financial priority. Last year’s alleged sex competition in Pat Hall further proved that CSB and SJU face these problems—sexual harassment and rape are as present as ever on our campuses. To confirm this, the Oct. 20 edition of The Record illustrated an on-campus rise in sexual assault, rape, fondling and dating violence. After the news of Pat Hall broke, students and administration alike were outraged and pledged to invest in efforts to change the culture. As we get further removed from the incident, our community must not forget calls from student leaders at the IWL or individually by our peers on campuses. Recognition that these problems do not have a single quick solution is crucial.
But, Lindner’s efforts throughout her tenure and the implementation of programs like Project EMBRACE and the BEST Party Curriculum have laid the foundation for transformational change over a long period of time. That’s why the stability and succession of the violence prevention coordinator position is so crucial. This Editorial Board calls on the administration to fully fund the violence prevention coordinator position next academic year and beyond.
It’s time to put our money where our mouth is—doing so requires the essential investment of educational and financial support at the institutional level.