2023 ANNUAL SECURITY REPORT 53 ONGOING PRIMARY AWARENESS AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS The University provided a deliberate and comprehensive series of awareness and prevention programs available to all students. Ongoing educational sessions are provided throughout the year, focusing on particular topics tailored to each audience. These sessions include discussions of the definitions of at least one of these factors: the crimes of sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, relevant statistics, bystander intervention skills, and KU’s policies, procedures, and resources in these areas. More specific information is contained below. It’s On Us Campaign: Kutztown University partners with It’s On Us, a national campaign aimed at changing the culture surrounding campus sexual assault. As one of 28 college and universities from across the country as an It’s On Us Campus Innovation Partner School, KU commits to upholding and implementing the three pillars of the It’s On Us campaign: support for survivors of sexual violence, bystander intervention, and consent education. Student leaders from across campus are invited to participate in the KU student chapter to bring awareness to sexual assault, the It’s On Us pledge, signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships, and the reporting processes through weekly meetings, speakers, discussions, events and posted marketing materials. Hundreds of t-shirts with the It’s On Us branding were printed and distributed to student leaders who attended educational programs, signed the pledge or supported the campaign. It’s On Us Spring Week of Action: This week-long event series that takes place in both the Fall and Spring semesters intends to educate, engage and empower students and communities to do something big or small to end sexual assault. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the week of action included: workshops on Bystander Intervention, relationship violence, Survivor Self-Care, Consent education, “Real Talk” about mental health, promotional tables with information where students are invited to take the pledge, the annual Take Back the Night and Clothesline project events, and the Red Flag campaign. The red flag campaign is a visual and interactive campaign to raise awareness around red flags of dating and relationships, and how to get help and find resources. A national speaker presented a program on violence toward the transgender community. Rape Aggression Defense Course (RAD): The RAD course is offered by Public Safety free-of-charge at least once each semester to female campus community members. The course teaches personal safety and self-defense. Referrals are included for Department of Counseling and Psychological Services, Women’s Center, and Safe Berks. RAD classes are offered for men upon request. (See the Crime Prevention & Security Awareness Programs for Students, Faculty and Staff section for a full description of the program offered.) Women’s Center: The Women’s Center provides a safe space, compassionate support, on campus counseling referral, and assistance with the reporting processes to past or present survivors of sexual or interpersonal violence. Individuals may visit the center located in the Boxwood House, call 610-683-4655, or email womenscenter@kutztown.edu. In addition, the KU Women’s Center works with Safe Berks, an agency that provides a safe haven and ongoing support system for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, to provide free and confidential campus advocacy services. Services offered include: review all reporting options; provide accompaniment to the Berks County Courthouse to obtain a Protection Order; provide accompaniment to law enforcement interviews and Title IX meetings on campus; and provide referrals to PCAR’s Sexual Violence Legal Assistance Project and other Berks County support services and resources, as needed. Kutztown University has a Safe Berks Campus Advocate is LaTisha Baker, who can be reached at 484-651-9745 or latisha@safeberks.org. Safe Berks also has a hotline where a certified advocate is available by telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. To contact the hotline, an individual may call 844-789-SAFE or Text “SAFE BERKS” to 20121. All services provided by Safe Berks are inclusive and available to every KU student. However, a report to a Safe Berks representative does not constitute a report to the University, since these individuals are not employees of the University and, therefore, are not required to report allegations of a Title IX violation to the University’s Title IX Coordinator or any other University employee with the authority to investigate and/or redress sexual violence on campus.
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