As Sexual Assault Awareness Month comes to a close, the Center for Health Education and Wellness thanks YOU, the Volunteer community, for diligent work over the past year to address sexual assault. This year has been filled with successes, which include:
- The University establishing an interim Sexual Misconduct policy.
- The implementation of a centralized website, sexualassault.utk.edu.
- Students, faculty and staff have pledged to be active bystanders who “Speak UP.”
- An increased emphasis on consent in conversations about sexual assault.
- Increased reporting and access to support services.
As the campus kicked off Sexual Assault Awareness Month on April 1, the Women’s Coordinating Council, VOLS 2 VOLS Peer Health Educators, Sorority and Fraternity Life, SGA, Human Resources staff, College of Law faculty, and students, faculty and staff from all parts of campus joined together to “Hike the Hill” which raised awareness of sexual assault as well as money for the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee.
The Center for Health Education and Wellness also would like to thank SEAT, Career Services, Disability Services staff, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Life, University Housing, UTPD, Multicultural Student Life, VolOUT, Dean of Students, Student Conduct & Community Standards, and New Student and Family Programs for their participation in the Hike!
As the academic year comes to a close, we are looking toward how we can continue to grow. Our campus community will face challenges and have tough conversations, but everyone at the University of Tennessee is critical to a culture of safety and respect.
For more information or ways in which you can get involved, visit wellness.utk.edu, volunteersspeakup.utk.edu, and sexualassault.utk.edu.