STCC Receives $300,000 Campus Safety, Empowerment Program Grant
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) has received a $300,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to bolster efforts to prevent domestic violence and help victims of abuse.
With the goal of creating a safe and responsive environment for all students on campus, STCC will use the three-year grant to create a Campus Safety and Empowerment Program.
Funding will pay to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs and develop and strengthen campus security and investigations to prevent, prosecute and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on campus.
“STCC is honored to receive this funding to strengthen our campus response to sexual and domestic violence, and to provide crisis intervention and advocacy services to survivors.” STCC Title IX Coordinator Cheryl Rogers said.
“STCC is honored to receive this funding to strengthen our campus response to sexual and domestic violence, and to provide crisis intervention and advocacy services to survivors.”Cheryl Rogers STCC Title IX Coordinator
STCC is working in partnership with the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, Community Legal Aid and the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, visited STCC today to announce the grant.
“This important federal grant will help make the campus of STCC a safer and more secure place for its students, faculty and visitors. Safety and crime prevention on college campuses has become a growing concern across the country. So I applaud the leadership of STCC for recognizing this fact and taking a proactive approach with their public safety policies,” Neal said.
Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said, “The Hampden District Attorney’s Office is proud to partner in Springfield Technical Community College’s Campus Safety and Empowerment Program. Through initiatives like this, my office’s Special Victims Unit and Domestic Violence Unit endeavor to prevent and inhibit sexual assaults and crimes against women, elderly, and disabled persons. Along with our prevention efforts, we will continue to support victims and their rights while holding offenders accountable through our role in the criminal justice system.”
Elizabeth Dineen, Executive Director, YWCA Western Massachusetts, said, “The YWCA of Western Massachusetts is honored to be a part of this important initiative. By strategically utilizing our collective expertise to educate students and campus police, we can work to eradicate domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking incidents at STCC. And, we can offer legal and therapeutic resources to transform victims into survivors.”
Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said, “As a primary care physician for over 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand how sexual assault and unhealthy relationships can have a lifelong detrimental impact on a patient’s physical and mental health. Survivors of sexual assault deserve support, respect, compassionate care, and nonjudgmental resources, all of which Planned Parenthood is committed to providing—no matter what.
“Planned Parenthood is proud to join so many community partners in this thoughtful and comprehensive approach to caring for survivors and creating a world free from sexual assault and domestic violence,” Childs-Roshak said.
According to the terms of the grant, STCC will use the funding to:
- Create and train a coordinated community response team;
- Provide prevention education to all incoming STCC students as well as ongoing bystander intervention education;
- Provide training to campus law enforcement personnel and judicial board members in effective responses to incidents of violence against women on campus;
- Provide on-campus services to all victims and survivors;
- Provide culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible materials, including training tools and videos; and
- Provide expert referrals to off-campus services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking.
The grant is part of a program authorized by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, re-enacted by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005, and reauthorized and amended by subsequent legislation.
According to the Office on Violence Against Women, the program provides a unique opportunity for colleges and universities to combat violent crimes against women on campuses.
The announcement of the grant comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed in October. As part of its mission to keep a safe campus community, STCC on Oct. 27, from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., will host a candlelight vigil, an event organized by the YWCA of Western Massachusetts.
About Springfield Technical Community College
Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical option for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of more than 8,700 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.