Office on Violence Against Women Campus Grant Project
What is the OVW Campus Grant Program?
In September 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded the Women’s Center at the University of Idaho a continuation grant of almost $300,000 to fund the Campus Violence Prevention Project for a further three years. The Women’s Center received an OVW grant in 2016. The grant award is funding efforts to engage the campus, community, statewide and national organizations in developing and implementing culturally relevant, community responsive prevention education programming and victim services at U of I. The project will have an increased emphasis on stalking prevention education and outreach to students with disabilities.
What are the grant goals?
- Goal 1: Broaden campus and community engagement;
- Goal 2: The reduction of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking;
- Goal 3: Effective and timely intervention.
These three overarching goals will be carried out through efforts in five key areas:
- A coordinated community response team (CCRT);
- Comprehensive prevention education and outreach;
- Student conduct;
- Law enforcement;
- Victim services.
Green Dot Video
A core goal of the OVW grant is engaging men and student-athletes in violence prevention efforts on campus. This Green Dot PSA encourages Vandals to step up when their peers need support.
All grant activities will support and promote Clery Act and Title IX compliance, robust efforts to engage men and cultural humility.
Campus and Community Partners
A coordinated community response approach ensures a timely, culturally relevant and respectful response to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking committed on or off campus. Implementing such an approach requires establishing a Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT). This team coordinates all prevention and intervention efforts; facilitates communication between key campus departments and community partners; ensures messages across efforts are consistent and reinforced; and ensures the system’s response to survivors is seamless, consistent and supportive.
CCRT Subcommittees
This group is charged with setting the direction of the grant and monitoring progress towards established goals.
Members include:
- Aaron Morris, Officer, Moscow Police Department, Campus Division
- Cari Fealy, Associate Dean of Students
- Emilie McLarnan, Associate Director, Violence Prevention Programs Office
- Rachel Norris, OVW Project Director, Women’s Center
- Lysa Salsbury, Director, Women’s Center
- Campus Advocate, ATVP
The Mobilizing Men subcommittee creates and implements educational programming designed to engage campus men in gender-based violence prevention, with a focus on healthy masculinities, non-violent communication and their roles as empowered bystanders.
Members include:
- Eric Anderson, Interim Director, Career Services
- Bryce Blankenship, Faculty Instructor, Dept. of Philosophy and Politics
- John Hennrich, Case Manager, Office of the Dean of Students
- Sean McIlraith, Administrative Coordinator, Dept. of Athletics
- Emilie McLarnan, Case Manager, Office of the Dean of Students
- Lysa Salsbury, Director, Women's Center
- Mark Sowa, Head Swim and Dive Coach
- Taylor Raney, Associate Chair of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education
This subcommittee conducts an ongoing inventory and assessment of existing prevention training to determine gaps for specific student populations, identifying culturally responsive and accessible strategies for broader implementation of educational programs for all students, staff, faculty and community members. This group recommends and assists in the development and implementation of programming adjustments, adaptations or innovations to correspond to participants’ needs.
Members include:
- Dana Brolley, Director, International Services
- Erin Chapman, Associate Clinical Professor of Family & Consumer Sciences & Human Sexuality and representative, Faculty Senate
- James Fry, Chief of Police, Moscow Police Department
- Julia Keleher, Director, LGBTQA Office (chair)
- Emilie McLarnan, Associate Director, Violence Prevention Programs Office
- Emily Tuschhoff, Director of Health Promotion
This subcommittee reviews existing University and local community policies, protocols and procedures through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens to determine necessary updates and identify areas for improvement.
Members include:
- Erin Agidius, Title IX Coordinator and Director, Office of Civil Rights & Investigations (co-chair)
- Cari Fealy, Associate Dean of Students (co-chair)
- Leonard Johnson, Navy ROTC
- Shane Keen, Clery Compliance Officer, Office of Public Safety & Security
- Jesse Martinez, Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs
This subcommittee will create program-specific marketing and messaging to ensure consistency, inclusivity, broad appeal and congruency with the goals set by the grant and serve to communicate clear values and expectations to the Vandal community.
Members include:
- Yolanda Bisbee, Chief Diversity Officer and Executive Director of Tribal Relations
- Corey Ray, Associate Director, Housing and Residence Life
- Lysa Salsbury, Director, Women’s Center
Through a trauma-informed lens, this subcommittee reviews existing services for and responses to victims and survivors, to identify current strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Members include:
- Tim Besst, Deputy Sheriff, Latah County Sheriff’s Office
- Jonathon Rosinsky, Officer, Moscow Police Department, Campus Division
- Aaron Morris, Officer, Moscow Police Department, Campus Division
- Omni Francetich, representative, Staff Council (Victim Services Chair)
- Jessica Long, Coordinator, Legal Aid Clinic
- Mandy Roberts, Administrative Coordinator, Army ROTC
- Maureen Marchant, Counseling and Mental Health Center
- Sydel Samuels, Director, Native American Student Center
- Karla Neumann Smiley, The Center (faith-based resource center)