Campus Gets $1M to Lead UC Response to Violence Against Women

October 5, 2007 |
Robert Coombs

The University of California, Davis, was awared “nearly $1 million federal grant to help the UC’s 10 campuses improve their response to violence against women.”
UC Davis will lead the effort “to develop a systemwide strategic plan to enhance prevention programs and victim support services. The project will encourage adoption of comprehensive campus guidelines for responding to incidents and referring victims to campus and community resources. In addition, it will help to bring nationally recognized best practices and policies on violence against women to the campuses and to implement others developed at UC.”
Jennifer Beeman, the director of the violence prevention program at UC Davis said:

“We are looking forward to building upon and sharing the expertise we have gained through our long and productive collaboration with the federal Office on Violence Against Women. We want to work with other campuses to create a model intervention within the state of California.”

The project will collaborate with two major organizations. The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) “will bridge the project with rape crisis centers in communities surrounding campuses. The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training will help develop and deliver specialized training for law enforcement agencies on campuses.”
Sandy Ortman, director of special programs for CALCASA, commented on the experience of UC Davis and that the UC system has been encouraging women to report sexual assault incidents:

“UC Davis has the experience, the commitment to the issues — and a chancellor who understands the issues.
“Increased reporting of incidents against women can actually be a good thing. What it means is that you provide helpful, caring and appropriate services so women come forward. It speaks to the level of service being provided.”