SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEARLY $300K IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS
Funding Will Be Used To Help Implement Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Programming
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $299,727 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women to help reduce sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking at The College of Saint Rose in Albany. Specifically, the funding will help implement programming to address the needs of students with disabilities, students of color, LGBTQ students, students who are Veterans, and international students. The College of Saint Rose will work with Equinox, Inc. and the Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center to combat and address sexual assault and domestic violence.
“Eliminating domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking starts with educating students – and this well-deserved investment will enable The College of Saint Rose and its partners to do just that,” said Senator Schumer. “I have long fought for this kind of funding and will continue to do so in the future. We must do all we can to prevent domestic and dating violence from happening in the first place, and we must also take care of those who survive.”
“Sexual assault and domestic violence are far too pervasive on college campuses, and it is a tragedy that some students feel unsafe in a place where they should be learning and preparing for their futures,” said Senator Gillibrand “This critical funding will help The College of Saint Rose combat sexual assault and violence, while also providing survivors with the support they need to heal. I will continue fighting in the Senate for the resources our universities need to protect survivors.”
“Our students cannot advance as leaders and professionals if they do not start with a foundation of personal safety. Statistics tell us that far too many women, and in proportionately smaller but important numbers, men, experience intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Feeling safe and in control of one’s life is critical to a sense of agency and power, and I am incredibly proud that The College of Saint Rose is seeking ways to meet this need for all students, including those often overlooked in these efforts,” said Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco.
This funding was allocated through the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women’s Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking on Campus Program (Campus Program). This program helps colleges and universities create multidisciplinary approaches to combat sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on their campuses. These efforts are designed to expand survivor services, implement prevention and education programs, and prevent, prosecute, and respond to sexual violence crimes. These programs are administered in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, courts, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim advocacy and victim services organizations.
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