April is Sexual Violence Prevention Month

Dear campus community,

April is Sexual Violence Prevention Month, also known as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Before sharing resources, insights, and calls to action, affirming the survivors in our community must come first: Your well-being, dignity, and sense of belonging matter deeply to us, and you are valued members of the UC Berkeley community.

Nationally, this month’s theme is “Building Communities.” By building a strong community on our campus, we can work together to reduce the likelihood of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. Learn more about our #weCARE prevention campaign and how to get involved. Preventing sexual violence is possible. It takes reflection and action on the part of individuals, communities, and organizations alike.

UC Berkeley is committed to a culture that affirms consent and does not tolerate sexual violence. Please remember that:

• Great sex starts and ends with consent

• Most people at Berkeley want to intervene when noticing sexual violence & sexual harassment (Source: 2018 UC Berkeley MyVoice Survey)

• Healthy relationships respect boundaries

All month long, the campus community is hosting events to create spaces for survivors as they heal while sharing information about what the rest of us can all do to prevent sexual violence. 

Support and resources for survivors:

For urgent help, call the PATH to Care Center 24/7 Care Line at (510) 643-2005. Contact the main office line at (510) 642-1988 for inquiries and scheduling. The National Sexual Assaultand Domestic Violence Hotlines offer chat-based services if finding privacy is a challenge.

• The campus has created resource guides to help students and employees to quickly find survivor support, including confidential support and reporting options

• Online reporting is available through the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination. OPHD can provide supportive measures and help you learn more about formal and informal resolution options. 

• Crimes involving sexual violence, dating or domestic violence, stalking, and/or invasion of privacy can be reported to the University of California Police Department or local law enforcement.

• Supportive measures are available to those who have experienced sexual violence, relationship abuse, stalking, exploitation, or sexual harassment—regardless of whether or not a report has been made to OPHD or law enforcement. 

Resources for allies, colleagues, and friends:

• If someone tells you they have been impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, or sexual violence and harassment, you can respond supportively and connect them to a trusted resource. All students, staff, and faculty can access the PATH to Care Center

• You can support survivors simply by believing and listening to them. 

• If you are a university employee, review your responsible employee and campus security authority obligations. Be prepared to share your role's limits and expectations while expressing care and concern and connecting the survivor to resources.

• Stay up to date on your SVSH prevention training

• Continuing undergraduate, graduate and professional students need to complete an SVSH online refresher training annually accessible via a CalCentral Task.

• Graduate Student Instructors, Graduate Student Researchers, staff, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers need to complete a required training annually via the UC Learning Center. A new course was released this academic year for non-supervisors as well as a new course and refresher for supervisors, faculty and MSP. 

• Consider taking a Manager’s Playbook training to learn how to prevent employee sexual harassment in administrative and academic departments. 

• Browse the past Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) annual reports and the new annual Civil Rights Report

• Be sure to accesswellness resources for yourself.

We encourage you to attend events, take action, and build your communities of support not only in April but throughout the year. Together, we can create a campus culture rooted in consent, respect, and care for one another.

This message was written in consultation with Melissa Kwon, Associate Director for Prevention, PATH to Care Center. We thank her for her expertise.

In community,

Stephen C. Sutton
he/him/his
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs 

Dania Matos
she/her/ella
Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion 

Sharon Inkelas
she/her/hers
Special Faculty Advisor to the Chancellor on Campus Welfare and Deputy Compliance Officer

Kellie Brennan she/her/hersAssistant Vice Chancellor of Civil Rights, Whistleblower & Clery ComplianceTitle IX Officer

Kelsey Hoie Ferrell
she/her/hers
Interim Director, PATH to Care Center

christine (cici) ambrosio 
she/they/siya
Director of Women’s Resources, Gender Equity Resource Center 

Victoria Plaut
she/ella
Vice Provost for the Faculty 

Eugene Whitlock 
he/him/his
Chief People and Culture Officer

To help create an environment that lives up to our Principles of Community, we will send regular messages to acknowledge various heritage months and holidays. While we won't include every month or holiday, we will make an effort to ensure members of our community feel represented. Additionally, news.berkeley.edu will often post articles highlighting people, programs, and research that align with these heritage months and holidays. 

This message was sent to all staff, faculty, and students.

If you are a manager who supervises UC Berkeley employees without email access, please circulate this information to all.