Lincoln University gets funding to combat sexual assault on campus

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – Lincoln University has received a $30,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to prevent and combat sexual assault on campus.

The funding comes through It’s On Us PA, a statewide program created to provide colleges and universities with the support and resources necessary to shift campus culture and promote healthy relationships.

“Sexual violence will not be tolerated,” said Wolf. “All colleges and universities must be safe for students.

“Students, staff, and educators across the commonwealth have done tremendous work through It’s On Us PA to protect learning environments and ensure they are free from sexual assault, harassment, and violence. These grants will further build on the work they have done to hold people accountable.”

The Office of Counseling Services, led by director Rachel Manson, will lead the grant implementation. The grant is part of the Universities commitment to providing a learning environment that is safe and promotes student success.

“Lincoln University is grateful to be a recipient of the “It’s On Us” grant,” said Manson.

Established by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2016, It’s On Us PA is the nation’s first statewide campaign to improve campus safety by supporting colleges and university communities in reframing the conversation around sexual violence and empowering them to develop solutions. More than 150 It’s On Us PA grants totaling nearly $4 million have been awarded to more than 70 post-secondary institutions, including public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

The It’s On Us PA Program aims to:

• Improve awareness, prevention, reporting, and response systems regarding sexual violence in schools, colleges, and universities to better serve all students.
• Remove/reduce barriers that prevent survivors of sexual violence from reporting and/or accessing vital resources by creating a more consistent, empowering reporting process for student survivors of gender-based violence.
• Demonstrate significant, proactive, and sustainable leadership to change campus culture by challenging Pennsylvania’s education leaders – including college and university presidents, as well as students, teachers, faculty, staff, families, and communities to pledge to improve their institutions’ climate around sexual assault.

“PDE remains committed to investing in efforts that help ensure that campuses remain safe, inclusive, and welcoming spaces that are conducive to learning,” said Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega. “The It’s On Us PA campaign has cultivated change on campuses across the commonwealth and PDE is once again pleased to support programs that increase awareness and strive to end sexual violence.”