West Virginia University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture by promoting diversity, inclusion, equity and intercultural and intercommunity outreach. The Equity Assurance/Title IX Office is committed to not only eliminating all forms of discrimination including sex and gender discrimination but educating students, faculty and staff on their Title IX rights.
WVU committed to the National It’s On Us campaign in January 2015, to further its proactive efforts to eliminate sexual assault and power-based personal violence from campus. WVU continues its support of April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month and It’s On Us Awareness Week with student led events. April 4th – April 9th WVU Peer Advocates and fellow WVU students are hosting daily themed events, starting with Monday’s Kickoff: screening of the controversial documentary, “The Hunting Ground”.
WVU will join 16 other college campuses and nine rape crisis shelters on Tuesday to show West Virginia’s efforts to end sexual violence throughout our state. On campus we will focus on healthy relationships and encouraging our student body to sign the “It’s On Us” pledge, a personal commitment to stand against sexual violence. An active-consent themed photo booth will challenge students on how they verbally express consent followed by a student-led discussion on defining sexual boundaries.
Wednesday’s theme will empower bystanders to get involved with WELLAWARE bystander training. Students will have the opportunity to challenge societal gender roles with a screening of “The Mask You Live In” and an afternoon session of It’s On Us awareness basketball at WVU’s Recreational Center.
Thursday will focus on supporting survivors with open drop in counseling held by Carruth Center, Massage Therapy by Bliss Bliss Bliss, and a special guest speaker. Throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to create a quilt patch to show support of a survivor of sexual violence or resources to end violence on our campus. Each custom made piece will be combined to create one large quilt at the end of the year, showing WVU student’s solidarity to end sexual assault and power-based personal violence on our campus. Thursday will conclude with the opening day of the student production, “HUSH”, an intimate look at sexual violence through theatre.
While ‘HUSH’ will be shown Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm in the Falbo Theatre, WVU Creative Arts Center, Friday will also focus on What’s Next? Students will be able to attend an open Title IX training to learn about their resources on campus and plant a seed for progress. Every session will remind each student that it is our responsibility to keep our Mountaineer family safe; that if we see something, to do something, together we can make a difference.
While resources and advocates will be present at each event, we encourage our community to get involved. Whether you would like to volunteer, drop by to show your support or understand your resources better, we invite you to become part of our culture shift to keep every Mountaineer safe. To file a Title IX complaint contact James Goins, Jr, WVU’s Title IX Coordinator at 304-293-5600 or James.Goins@mail.wvu.edu. To schedule a Title IX training or speak to a confidential resource please contact Mariana at Mariana.Matthews@mail.wvu.edu. Please take a look at our full agenda for times and locations.
-WVU-
04/05/16
Mariana Matthews, Title IX Education Specialist, Equity Assurance/Title IX
304.293.5600, Mariana.Matthews@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.