Michigan State University is hosting a week-long event targeting sexual assault awareness as part of the national It's On Us Week of Action, school officials announced.
A number of activities are planned around campus to raise awareness and point out campus prevention and response resources. Groups will offer workshops and opportunities to sign the It's On Us pledge, and ASMSU plans to launch a Facebook page for the event.
It's On Us, an initiative launched in September by a White House task force, aims to enlist students --especially men -- to take personal responsibility for stopping sexual assault and ending the culture of victim blame.
The national campaign dovetails into the Michigan State University's own awareness initiatives, including the No Excuse for Sexual Assault campaign launched in January 2013 by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.
"Eradicating sexual and domestic assault requires people to see it as their personal responsibility to intervene when they see something escalating," MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said in a statement. "One incident is too many, and it will take all of us in the campus community working together. I'm really pleased that student leaders and groups are helping set these expectations."
Next week the 2014 University Task Force on Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence is holding its first meeting of the semester. This is the 10th anniversary of the first University Task Force on Sexual Assault, which led to significant changes in MSU's work related to campus sexual assaults and relationship violence.
The task force, with faculty, staff and student representation from across campus, will review MSU's work over the past 10 years and identify any gaps based on the recent guidance from federal agencies and the White House.
