UTSA provides awareness resources regarding sexual violence and domestic violence

OCTOBER 7, 2024 — Editor’s note: The following message was sent via email today from the President of UTSA Taylor EightProvost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Heather ShipleyDirector of Entrepreneurial Development and Executive Vice President for Business Weronika Salazar, Dean of Student Affairs and Senior Vice-Rector for Student Affairs Lieutenant Robinson and the Police Commander Stephanie Schoenborn to all faculty, staff and students.

Over the weekend, a deeply disturbing incident occurred at Oaks University, operated by Campus Living Villages. The UTSA Police Department has issued a sexual assault advisory. As the investigation continues and efforts to support the victim continue, we reach out to the entire campus community to reaffirm our commitment to an environment of zero tolerance for sexual assault. If you need support or want to learn more about how to support others, we encourage you to check out the free resources available.

Support

UTSA offers important mental health and wellness services available to students, faculty and staff.

• We encourage students to use Wellness 360 Counseling Services or the Crisis Helpline for mental health support and well-being resources. The Timely Care app offers additional support on demand.
• UTSA employees have free and confidential access to the Employee Assistance Program, including the Hotline, as well as additional support services through the iConnectYou app.
• Additionally, members of the university community directly affected by sexual violence can go to a campus advocate for support.

Safety Resources

UTSA Public Safety provides important community services and resources to keep our campuses safe.

• The LiveSafe app instantly connects students, faculty and staff with the UTSA Police Department (UTSAPD) and other internet safety resources right from your phone.
• UTSA Public Safety offers on-demand campus safety escorts by UTSAPD officers and security guards 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the main and downtown campuses.

Learning opportunities

Every October, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Wellbeing Services and the PEACE Center host a variety of events and learning opportunities about consent, sexual violence prevention, bystander intervention and healthy relationships. We encourage you to visit our events calendar to take advantage of these programs and expand your personal toolkit.

Reclaim the night

We encourage all Roadrunners to join us at Take Back the Night at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 22 in the Paseo Student Union for an evening of empowerment for those affected by domestic and dating violence. The event includes a resource fair, poetry, activities, Silent Witness, a campus walk, and a speech.

Report

UTSA offers many options for Roadrunners wishing to report acts of sexual violence or misconduct. The PEACE Campus Advocate can help you consider your reporting options. These include:

Get involved

Understanding bystander intervention is an important step in the fight against sexual violence. Green Dot is a nationally recognized anti-violence initiative that aims to reduce and prevent the occurrence of power-based personal violence. Join us virtually at 1pm on Wednesday, October 16 for a 90-minute interactive session to learn more.

Additionally, we are proud to be recognized as an institution dedicated to comprehensive work to combat sexual violence and are grateful for grant support from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.

As a reminder, faculty and staff are required to report all disclosures regarding sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator. Therefore, it is important that faculty and staff inform students about their obligation to report before hearing the disclosure. We encourage you to explore the resources available on the Equal Opportunity Services website and review referral options on the Safe Campus website.

The safety and well-being of our community is our highest priority. We are deeply grateful for the commitment of our entire university to this critical work to keep all Roadrunners safe.