April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which calls on communities, organizations and individuals to come together and confront sexual violence in broader society.
SAAM is especially important to college-aged people and university campuses. Sexual violence is a huge problem on American college campuses. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 26.4% of female-identified and 6.8% of male-identified undergraduate students will experience some form of rape or other sexual assault.
At the University of Tennessee, the premier resource for survivors of violence is the Office of Title IX, which handles most gender-based violence and discrimination issues. There are also student organizations who address these issues through their programming year-round, such as UT Needs IX, Women’s Coordinating Council, Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee and Planned Parenthood Generation Action.
The UT events calendar has a page dedicated to events for SAAM. Outside of April, various organizations offer workshops and keynotes about sexual violence throughout the year, which can all be found through the UT events calendar.
SACET Donation Drive (All month)
Throughout April, the Center for Health Education and Wellness is holding a goods and clothing drive to benefit the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee. Donation boxes are located in the Student Union, TRECS, the Title IX office on Melrose and the Student Health Center. Eligible items include male and female undergarments, menstrual products and other hygiene items.
Those interested in making a monetary donation can do so through the Helen Ross McNabb Center website.
SAAM Brown Bag Lunch series (All month)
CHEW, Title IX and the UT Police are hosting presentations throughout the month on various topics related to gender-based violence. On April 19, join UTPD Corporal Kelley Kain at the Student Union to talk about online harassment and sextortion. The April 26 event will be virtual and will focus on campus and local resources for survivors.
Join the Office of Title IX in-person at the Student Union or virtually through Zoom as they present their annual report and the results of the Vols Voices survey. The Vols Voices survey invited input from students, faculty and staff, and the results will be used to inform and shape policy surrounding discrimination and gender-based violence.
Break the Stigma Day (April 24)
CHEW will be hosting a panel discussion with community partners on breaking the stigma surrounding various sensitive topics. These include sexuality, sexual violence and substance abuse. The panel will take place in-person at Strong Hall.
UT Needs IX Day of Action (April 29)
UT Needs IX is a student-led organization focused on educating the community about protections afforded to them through the Office of Title IX and its policies. The organization will be joined by other community partners on April 29 to host training workshops and panel discussions on a range of topics. More information is forthcoming, and it will be available through the organization’s Instagram page.
