UTSA Provides Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Awareness Resources

OCTOBER 7, 2024 — Editor’s Note: The following message was emailed today by the UTSA President. Taylor Eighmydean and executive vice president for academic affairs Heather Shipleydirector of corporate development and executive vice president of commercial affairs Veronica Salazar, Dean of Students and Senior Vice-President for Student Affairs LT Robinson and chief of police Stephanie Schönborn to all teachers, staff and students.

Over the weekend, a deeply concerning incident occurred at University Oaks, operated by Campus Living Villages. The UTSA Police Department has issued a notice regarding a sexual assault. As the investigation continues and we work to support the survivor, we are reaching out to our entire campus community to reaffirm our commitment to a zero-tolerance environment for sexual assault. If you need help or want to learn more about how to support others, we encourage you to explore the free resources available to you.

Support

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

Security Resources

UTSA Public Safety provides important community services and resources aimed at keeping our campuses safe.

• The LiveSafe app instantly connects students, faculty and staff with the UTSA Police Department (UTSAPD) and other online safety resources right from your phone.
• UTSA Public Safety provides 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

Each October, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Wellness Services and the PEACE Center host various events and learning opportunities regarding consent, sexual violence prevention, intervention spectators and healthy relationships. We encourage you to check out our events calendar to take advantage of these programs to expand your personal toolbox.

Take back the night

All Roadrunners are encouraged to join us for Take Back the Night on Tuesday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Student Union Paseo for an evening of empowerment for people who have been affected by domestic and dating violence. The event includes a resource fair, poetry, activities, Silent Witness, a walk around campus and a speaking engagement.

Report

UTSA offers several options for Roadrunners wishing to report sexual violence or misconduct. A 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 aimed at reducing and preventing the occurrence of power-based personal violence. Join us virtually at 10 a.m. Wednesday, October 16 for a 90-minute interactive session to learn more.

Additionally, we are proud to be considered an institution dedicated to the complex work of combating sexual violence and are grateful for the financial support of the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.

As an important reminder, faculty and staff are required to report any disclosures of sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator. It is therefore important to inform students of your reporting obligation before hearing a disclosure. We encourage you to review the resources available on the Equal Opportunity Services website and familiarize yourself with the reference options on the Safe Campus website.

The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority. We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our entire university in this essential work to keep all Roadrunners safe.