AU’s Office of Campus Life said just that by blocking a campus initiative to apply for a federal grant to fund sexual violence prevention.

The Department of Justice each year administers the “Grant to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking on Campus,” which doles out $300,000 over three years to fund resources for survivors and tools for address the problem of sexual assault. Despite the signatures and pledged support of three community groups and 17 campus offices, the grant proposal was denied by the Office of Campus Life just three days before the March 31 VAWA deadline.

The proposal, drafted by AU administrators, faculty and students, included plans for training for faculty and officials, the formation of a student group to include men in sexual assault prevention, and a mandatory education program for all new students. Under this provision, students who didn’t attend a seminar on sexual violence and complete surveys about sexual assault throughout the year would see a stop on their account, preventing them from registering for classes.

Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson rejected the proposal yesterday, saying in an e-mail that limited office space would complicate hiring a full-time sexual assault advocate, as the proposal provides. Hanson also said that placing stops on students’ registrations for not completing sexual assault training would be “exceptional.”

Seniors Quinn Pregliasco and Leigh Ellis, who helped draft the VAWA proposal, say that Hanson had approved the proposal back in October. They have proposed a call to action and a petition for administrative cooperation is already making the rounds. Who knows – maybe we’ll have $300,000 in sexual assault prevention yet.

This issue, by the way, caught the eye of TBD online reporter Amanda Hess – check out her article here.

For more information on the cause, as well as how to sign the petition, contact Quinn Pregliasco ([email protected]) or Leigh Ellis ([email protected]).