CEASE program provides training and education

A new round of funding from the U.S. Justice Department will allow SUNY Fredonia officials to provide rape prevention training for university police, athletic coaches, and key campus personnel while increasing similar programs for incoming freshmen, upperclassmen and transfer students. The $199,996 expands the Campus Education, Awareness, Support and Effect (CEASE) project, which was originally subsidized with a $200,000 Department of Justice grant in 2004.

“As an institution ranked first among SUNY colleges in student satisfaction, the needs of our students are held foremost, especially their safety and well-being,” said Sally Murphy, director of the SUNY Fredonia Counseling Center. “This funding will further establish the CEASE initiatives into the university culture and reinforce the clear message that our campus will not tolerate sexual violence.”

The campus CEASE project, coordinated by Julie Bezek and headquartered in the Counseling Center in LoGrasso Hall, cooperates with the Salvation Army Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence program, the Chautauqua County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Brooks Memorial Hospital, the Village of Fredonia Police Department and the City of Dunkirk Police Department.

Over the past two years, the SUNY Fredonia CEASE project’s achievements included:

• The creation of a coordinated community response to violence against women on campus through a task force composed of internal and external partners and the implementation of a response protocol for violent crimes against women;
• The establishment of an advisory board responsible for reviewing program development;
• Mandatory prevention and education programs on dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to all incoming freshman;
• Training for university police to respond effectively in cases of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Two officers received extensive training on handling sexual crimes, and several local police officers have received additional training regarding the response to female victims of violent crimes;
• Training for all campus disciplinary board members;
• The establishment of two Brooks Memorial Hospital nurses as sexual assault nurse examiners.