2008 Woodie Awards
Women's Center receives $300,000
The center will be combating gender violence with funds given through grant.
Ali Tweten
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: News
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The Women's Center has received two large grants this year, including a $300,000 grant to reduce gender violence and a $48,832 grant for a women's leadership development program.
"I'm very excited about both of the grants, it's big news and a major accomplishment to receive a Department of Justice grant," said Jane Olsen, director of the Women's Center. "I am equally enthusiastic about the grant for the in-house women's leadership program."
The first grant, from the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, will go toward reducing sexual assaults, domestic and dating violence and stalking. The grant will also strengthen victim services and increase awareness, investigation and help prosecute perpetrators in gender violence cases.
The school's Respect and Responsibility Workshop, a required event for incoming students that educates about sexual violence, will also receive a makeover. An online program will track student participation and feedback and test understanding of the material.
The Women's Center found 400 individual contacts related to sexual assault, sexual harassment or dating/domestic violence last year.
The number of police reported sexual assault cases from SCSU students has gone from 29 percent to 66 percent in the past four years, but the number of cases prosecuted has not had the same increase.
Another problem the grant will address is stalking, which is under-reported and rarely prosecuted.
A survey called the National Sexual Victimization of College Women, conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2000, found 83 percent of students who are stalked did not report it to campus security or law enforcement.
Stalking cases on campus and in the community are often prosecuted as harassment with lesser penalties according to the Women's Center.
Accompanying the gender violence grant, the Women's Center also received a grant from the Morgan Family Foundation to make a women's leadership program that will hire and train ten students to become leaders.
"I'm very excited about both of the grants, it's big news and a major accomplishment to receive a Department of Justice grant," said Jane Olsen, director of the Women's Center. "I am equally enthusiastic about the grant for the in-house women's leadership program."
The first grant, from the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, will go toward reducing sexual assaults, domestic and dating violence and stalking. The grant will also strengthen victim services and increase awareness, investigation and help prosecute perpetrators in gender violence cases.
The school's Respect and Responsibility Workshop, a required event for incoming students that educates about sexual violence, will also receive a makeover. An online program will track student participation and feedback and test understanding of the material.
The Women's Center found 400 individual contacts related to sexual assault, sexual harassment or dating/domestic violence last year.
The number of police reported sexual assault cases from SCSU students has gone from 29 percent to 66 percent in the past four years, but the number of cases prosecuted has not had the same increase.
Another problem the grant will address is stalking, which is under-reported and rarely prosecuted.
A survey called the National Sexual Victimization of College Women, conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2000, found 83 percent of students who are stalked did not report it to campus security or law enforcement.
Stalking cases on campus and in the community are often prosecuted as harassment with lesser penalties according to the Women's Center.
Accompanying the gender violence grant, the Women's Center also received a grant from the Morgan Family Foundation to make a women's leadership program that will hire and train ten students to become leaders.