Seton Hill University has been awarded funding through the 2018-2019 Governor’s It’s on Us PA Grant Program, Governor Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Education have announced.

Seton Hill will receive an $18,893 grant to support its efforts to prevent, address and effectively respond to campus sexual assault through the grant program. This is the second consecutive year Seton Hill has received this state funding for its Setonians Say No More program.

“Seton Hill University is grateful for the support from the Governor’s It’s on Us PA grant to continue our campus-wide approach in dealing with this important issue,” said Seton Hill President Mary C. Finger, Ed.D. “The grant funding will allow us to expand on our Setonians Say No More program and strengthen our current training and campus awareness initiatives as part of our longstanding partnership with the Blackburn Center.”

The Governor’s It’s on Us PA Grant will enable Seton Hill to build on its institutional awareness plan and robust training program to increase knowledge and understanding of policies, procedures, response plan, and reporting processes to support students. 

The grant will allow Seton Hill to host a public speaking event at the Performing Arts Center in the Fall 2019 semester featuring Don McPherson, a national leader for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence, who served as Director of the Mentors in Violence Prevention Program at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society.

Seton Hill will also continue its long-standing relationship with the Blackburn Center by incorporating interactive, scenario-based training methods into training exercises for all faculty and staff and at orientation sessions for incoming students. In addition, panel discussions will be held to help students understand the services available to them. 

A student internship program will also be established. The student interns will be responsible for creating awareness around the Setonians Say No More campaign. The interns will also work to begin a Student Delegate Program to provide peer support.

About the Governor’s It’s on Us PA Grant

Sexual violence affects an estimated one-in-five college women and one-in-20 college men. Sexual assault affects the health and well-being of survivors, and can also derail a student’s educational success. Recognizing that this violence and the unconscionable cost it poses to individual survivors and communities is unacceptable, Governor Tom Wolf launched the “It’s On Us PA” campaign on January 29, 2016, inviting education leaders and all Pennsylvanians to play a role in ending sexual violence.

The Governor’s It’s On Us PA Grant Program aims to support postsecondary institutions’ efforts to create campus environments in which all community members are informed, active bystanders working together to end sexual violence, and where survivors are able to access the rights, resources, and accommodations afforded to them through state and federal law.