The Campus Violence Prevention Program will get a new name and a new administrative home at the end of this month, as the UC Office of the President implements a comprehensive, systemwide approach to addressing sexual violence.

The changes stem from recommendations of the President’s Task Force on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence and Sexual Assault issued in September. The Board of Regents last week received an update on the task force’s progress.

"The task force acted with swift, deliberate purpose in meeting the timeline the members were given," President Janet Napolitano told the board. "I am pleased to report that they will meet all four of the milestones they were charged with reaching by January. These are important steps in ensuring that UC policy on preventing and responding to sexual assault and sexual violence is consistent across the entire University of California."

UC Davis already has a strong and well-established victim advocacy program in the CVPP. The program offers confidential services, crisis intervention and advocacy to survivors of sexual violence, and it runs educational programs on campus. It does not investigate allegations of sexual assault; these are carried out by the Office of Compliance and Policy or the police, if alleged victims desire investigations.

"At UC Davis, we have no tolerance for sexual violence, and I'm proud of our established victim advocacy program," Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said. "I'm confident this new emphasis will further strengthen this important service."

As the UC task force recommendations are implemented systemwide, UC Davis will make the following changes to enhance its program:

• As of Jan. 31, the CVPP will be renamed the Center for Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE): Advocate Office for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Assault, in line with other UC campuses.
• Also on Jan. 31, the administrative home of CARE at UC Davis will move from the Police Department to the Office of the Provost. CARE will report directly to the assistant executive vice chancellor, who is the provost’s chief of staff. 
• The CARE offices on the Davis and Sacramento campuses will move into new locations. Campus space planners are working with the CARE advocacy professionals to identify suitable space consistent with the confidential and privileged nature of their work with clients. It is anticipated that the moves will occur by April 30.
• UC Davis also has revised its website of resources on sexual violence, in line with recommendations from the systemwide task force. The site is accessible at a new URL, http://sexualviolence.ucdavis.edu, and the old one, too: http://sahelp.ucdavis.edu.

In addition, the campus plans to use resources from the Office of the President to improve UC Davis’ already strong advocacy program for survivors of sexual assault and sexual violence:  

• Ensure that existing advocates are appropriately classified under new standards issued by the Office of the President.
• Increase staffing in the advocacy program from 2.5 full-time equivalents to 3.0 FTE to better meet needs on both the Davis and Sacramento campuses.
• Increase the number of student interns to assist with outreach and office support.
• Improve database and data reporting software for CARE (including case management) and the university’s Clery Act reporting function.
• Provide support for enrichment of advocate training (all three UC Davis advocates meet the systemwide training and certification requirements of the Office of the President).
• Formalize the existing partnership with a regional service provider as backup to CARE advocates to ensure 24-hour-a-day-seven-days-a-week response to crisis calls (instead of having the advocates provide 24/7 emergency response through on-call shifts).
• Enhance CARE’s Web presence, outreach materials and education services.

UC has been implementing the task force recommendations over the last four months.

Napolitano also asked the task force to address an additional issue: providing appropriate services to people who are accused of sexual assault. This eighth recommendation will be implemented systemwide in July.

The task force, led by Sheryl Vacca, senior vice president and chief compliance and audit officer, includes UC regents, survivors of sexual assault and their advocates, students, faculty, police and other administrative staff.

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