Sexual Assault Awareness Month Arrives at Drexel
Just in time for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Drexel recently won a $30,000 grant from Governor Tom Wolf’s “It’s On Us PA” campus sexual assault prevention grant program. The funding will help the University continue to further its initiatives on campus — both year-round and especially during this month, which is being promoted through a national campaign.
The grant will fund the project “Expanding Title IX Education and Prevention at Drexel University.” The application was a collaborative effort between the Office of Equality and Diversity, the Office of Government and Community Relations, Institutional Advancement and the Department of Public Safety. Funding will bolster efforts to promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the next few weeks and, for the rest of the year, to promote the University’s commitment to communicate information about its resources, policies and procedures to the entirety of the University community while creating a compassionate and respectful culture for all community members.
“We are committed to supporting survivors, empowering bystanders, and building a culture of nonviolence and respect all year long,” said Jesse Krohn, assistant director of education and prevention and deputy Title IX coordinator in the Office of Equality and Diversity. “But in April, we raise our voices even louder and we invite all of you to join us.”
Throughout the month, the Office of Equality and Diversity will spearhead efforts to engage faculty, staff and students in raising awareness not just of sexual assault, but what they can do to prevent acts of sexual assault and how Drexel can help.
Every Tuesday in April, for example, will be celebrated as “Teal Tuesday” on campus. On those days, Drexel Dragons are encouraged to wear special Sexual Assault Awareness Month shirts with the phrase “Not a bystander” printed on the front. Thanks to the grant, over 2,000 teal t-shirts were purchased and can now be distributed to the Drexel community for free.
Throughout the month, you can pick up a shirt and information about sexual assault and bystander intervention— and more for your office, dorm, department or office — at the OED, or contact Krohn at jkrohn@drexel.edu to get materials sent to you. Additionally, you can pick up a free shirt and materials on April 4 and April 18 from 12–2 p.m. by the Mario statue on the corner of 33rd and Market streets.
The grant will also fund opportunities during the other 11 months of the year. For example, it will help finish a short video about bystander intervention, which shows Drexel students and Vice President and Dean of Student Life Subir Sahu, PhD, talking about concrete, practical strategies for risk reduction. The grant will also help Drexel bring representatives from the Clery Center for Security On Campus to the University to provide training and professional development for employees of the Office of Equality and Diversity and Public Safety. Additionally, Public Safety can now order new supplies like safety suits, kicking shields, face shields and helmets for the Rape Aggression Defense Program, a popular self-defense course.
“With this funding, we can expand our efforts to educate the community, train key faculty and professional staff, spread awareness to change campus culture and reduce barriers to reporting and accessing vital resources,” said Krohn.
Krohn said the University encourages survivors to report incidents of sexual violence with the understanding that they will receive compassionate care and assistance.
For more information, check out Drexel’s OED-3 Policy and Title IX Resource Program websites.