It’s On Us Initiative to Be Featured During Baylor-Oklahoma State Football Game
WACO, Texas (Sept. 23, 2016) – As part of Baylor University’s ongoing commitment to sexual assault prevention education and training, student members of the It’s On Us Student Advisory Council and Baylor’s Title IX Office will be sharing the It’s On Us message at Saturday’s Baylor-Oklahoma State football game at McLane Stadium.
It’s On Us is a national initiative launched in September 2014. The It’s On Us pledge is a “personal commitment to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault. It is a promise to be a part of the solution and intervene when you can help.”
Students, faculty, staff and fans are encouraged to take the It’s On Us pledge in person by signing one of two It’s On Us BU pledge boards located near sections 108-110 and 123-125.
In addition to the pledge boards, student volunteers will be on site to provide fans with It’s On Us BU stickers to show their support. They also will have more information for students interested in becoming involved in the Student Advisory Council, which meets every other week to plan campus events and speakers.
The pregame program will include the It’s On Us BU video, which will be played on the stadium video board and features Baylor students expressing their commitment to creating a safe community where sexual assault is unacceptable. Educational announcements about the It’s On Us initiative, as well as the upcoming It’s On Us Week of Action Oct. 9-15, will be featured throughout the game.
As Baylor moves forward in its efforts to prevent sexual assault and provide a culture of care, the university’s Title IX Office has held 56 training sessions since May 2016, including sessions with parents during orientation, athletics coaches/staff, visitors center staff, community leaders, residence hall directors and various student and faculty groups. All Baylor athletic teams also received Title IX training during the summer.
In August, more than 3,700 freshmen and transfer students participated in the It’s On Us New Student Event that provided valuable information about the Title IX Office, resources available on campus and bystander intervention tools. All Baylor students, as well as faculty and staff, will soon undergo mandatory online training on Title IX and sexual assault prevention.
During this fall, the Title IX Office and Student Advisory Council will hold additional events, including peer-facilitated workshops on healthy relationships, Green Dot bystander intervention training and an awareness event on Oct. 11, hosted by the Student Advisory Council, as part of the national It’s On Us Week of Action.
In addition, a survey will be fielded this fall among Baylor students to evaluate the effectiveness of campus procedures and identify challenges in the campus climate that affect the educational environment or create barriers to reporting. The survey results also will help shape future awareness, prevention and training initiatives.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.