Update, Spring 2008 

The Fall semester's busy-ness has continued well into the Spring.

  The very week school began in January, five people attended the annual Washington, DC, training Institute for campus grant programs. In addition to Deb and myself, counselor Debra Klemann, Safety and Disaster Committee chair Sharon Caven and Stone Child College student Mary Gallegos had a fast-paced and full training agenda at the conference. 

  My presentation entitled "C-O-A-C-H: A Training Module for Time-Challenged Faculty and Staff," was very well received by my colleagues. Thanks to MSUN staff, faculty and coaches who helped test and refine the program leading to its selection for presentation at this national conference of my peers.

  January was also Stalking Awareness Month and before leaving for DC, Deb hung displays around campus.

  In February, Love Without Fear Week (Feb 11-15) had a few low-key, primarily student-centered events. On the day of the ice-and-snow storm that challenged even the hardiest of us to drive safely, Student Health and ReSPONSE collaborated on an awareness event in the Dining Hall. Student Health's focus was tobacco use. Contests to blow

the largest bubble of bubble gum or soap bubbles, or to play the kazoo

longest or loudest drew students who then stepped to the ReSPONSE

table to complete a campus safety survey and enter a raffle drawing.

Results of this survey combined with results of a survey from the Fall

semester demonstrate that students know a good deal about domestic,

dating and sexual violence and stalking, but they may have a higher

level of complacency about the issues compared to the baseline survey

conducted in February 2004

   The biggest project for early Spring was writing a continuation grant proposal for the program. Several changes in the 2008 Request for Proposals (RFP) from the Office on Violence Against Women require more commitment from MSUN than previously included. ReSPONSE training programs and published materials have always been undertaken with the idea trainees would be able to take the materials and provide the education sessions on domestic, dating and sexual violence and stalking important to students' safety, health and well-being, so much has b3en accomplished in that regard. Members of Northern's restructured administration stepped up to add important support for the continuation of the ReSPONSE program, and the grant was written and submitted well before the deadline. Now we wait-notification usually comes just before the beginning of the Fall semester.

  The theme for Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2008 in April is "Prevent Sexual Violence...in our workplaces." Displays will be up at the Havre, Great Falls and Lewistown campuses. Awareness event updates for first response trainees on April 11 and April 17 at noon in the Small Dining Room at the SUB. Each session will be different. All first response trainees will receive invitations to both sessions, but space is limited at each. If you want to make your reservations early, call Deb at 265-3557.

                                         ReSPONSE pays for lunch!

  A few CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS are scheduled, and more dates are available. We'd love to come to STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS, too. For those events, the program is interactive, with PRIZES  furnished by ReSPONSE!!!! Give us a call or email response@msun.edu.

               ________________________________________________________ 

Next Advisory Committee Meeting:

Thursday, May 8 @ 3:00pm

ReSPONSE Conf. Rm.