New Ulster County position addresses sexual violence on college campuses
SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian joined Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and SUNY Ulster President Alan Roberts at a July 11 event announcing a new partnership to help combat sexual assault on the campuses of the two colleges.
Ulster County will delegate funds granted under New York State’s Enough is Enough policy to create a new position in the county office. The new appointee will serve the roughly 11,200 students of both New Paltz and Ulster as an independent, certified rape crisis counselor and first level of support for collegiate survivors of sexual violence.
The new measures add an additional layer to New Paltz’s response and support structure, which has earned recognition as a model for peer institutions within SUNY and across the nation.
“When SUNY developed its system-wide policy and practices to address sexual violence across its campuses, much of SUNY New Paltz’s policy language was adopted directly into system guidelines and the state-wide Enough is Enough legislation,” said President Christian. “Our comprehensive training for students and staff and our resources for survivors help to meet our collective responsibility to support those in need of assistance. The investment that the state and county are making today will supplement our robust training program and resources, and provide more local services and support to survivors in our campus community.”
The landmark announcement marks a new phase in the effort to reduce sexual violence and provide aid to survivors of sexual attacks in Ulster County, as it is the strongest partnership to date between county officials, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Ulster that is dedicated to this issue.
“The plain truth is that even one campus sexual assault is too many, and Ulster County stands united in our intolerance of sexual assaults anywhere in our community,” said County Executive Hein. “We are tremendously fortunate in Ulster County to have two exceptional educational institutions in our community, and the fact that both President Christian and President Roberts joined me for this announcement speaks volumes to their commitment to their respective campuses and the safety of their students.”
Additional duties of the new, multi-faceted county position will include the provision of education and training to students and administrators, and acting as a liaison on students’ behalf to advocates and law enforcement officials throughout the process of reporting.
The independent counselor will operate within the Ulster County Crime Victims Assistance Program, and will be supported by more than $140,000 of grant funding from the state over two years.
More information about SUNY New Paltz’s responsiveness to issues of sexual assault, violence and harassment can be found on the College’s dedicated Title IX webpage.