Aloha Yellow Jackets,

April signals the start of spring and the near-ending of the academic calendar. Student Engagement & Well-Being kicked off Student Celebration Week, earmarked by the new student leadership banners that flank the experiential pathway, which runs from the John Lewis Student Center to the Campus Recreation Center. Be sure to walk by while you take a break from your studies and see who of your peers have been honored!
 
For this month’s newsletter, we will cover the following topics:

• Understanding Environmental Wellness
• Supporting Earth Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month: A Time to Reflect on Our Collective Responsibility
• Want To Be a Student Leader but Don’t Know Where to Start? ELAB Wants You!

Understanding Environmental Wellness
Throughout the past academic year, we learned about each of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness outlined in the Cultivate Well-Being Action & Transformation Roadmap. Last month we focused on Physical Wellness. We now end the series in April with a focus on Environmental Wellness, which coincides with Earth Month. I hope you have found these videos to be helpful in guiding personal decisions about your daily wellness habits!

Supporting Earth Month
A focus on environmental wellness leads perfectly to highlighting Earth Month at Georgia Tech. During the month of April, Georgia Tech will celebrate its commitment to our planet with a wide range of events to help community members connect with the natural environment and discover new ways to invest in our planet. These efforts support our strategic value, “We are responsible stewards,” and advance one of our strategic initiatives, Sustainability Next. Meaningful change happens when we each integrate purposeful choices and practices into our daily lives. To learn more about how you can make a difference, check out this guide created by the Office of Sustainability and curated specifically for students!

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: A Time To Reflect on Our Collective Responsibility
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), an annual, national campaign to raise awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. According to Georgia Tech policy, sexual misconduct is an umbrella term that includes any form of nonconsensual sexual attention, contact, or activity – such as sexual harassment, dating/domestic violence, stalking, or rape.

Sexual violence is pervasive in our communities and on college campuses. Based on a survey of students enrolled at Association of American Universities (AAU) institutions – of which Georgia Tech is a member - RAINN reports:

• Among graduate and professional students, 9.7% of females and 2.5% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
• Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experienced these types of incidents.  
• Almost one quarter (23.1%) of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted.
• Nearly 6% of students have experienced stalking since entering college.

We also know that 80-90% of cases perpetrated against college women are committed by someone they know (partner, friend, classmate), and it usually happens in the privacy of a residence. Unfortunately, sexual assault is significantly underreported; in fact, according to the US Department of Justice, only 20% of female student victims, ages 18-24, report an incident to law enforcement.

However, while most survivors never formally report their experience, they often share it with someone they trust, such as a friend or relative. As a reminder, students always have the option to contact a VOICE Advocate at Georgia Tech for emotional and other support, even if they choose to not file a police report.

Sexual violence has oftentimes been framed as primarily a victim’s issue, but in reality, it is a significant public health concern that greatly impacts the entire community.  As such, we have a shared responsibility to each do our part to end sexual violence. Primary prevention means stopping a situation before it escalates to sexual violence. Instead of focusing solely on the risk-reduction measures that potential victims can take, we must also shift our efforts to actions that we individually and collectively can take to stop a perpetrator from committing violence in the first place.

Georgia Tech is a member of the national initiative known as Culture of Respect. This includes challenging a culture that allows sexual violence to continue in our campus community and beyond. Everyone has a responsibility to look out for each other, support each other, and hold each other accountable for their actions. The Wellness Empowerment Center offers opportunities to become involved and suggestions for how to be part of the solution. The Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness also has a resource on how men can be part of the solution to prevent sexual violence. Finally, you can observe #DenimDay on April 26^th, make a commitment to be a change agent, and learn about 15 ways you can help to end sexual assault.

As some of you may already know, I am a survivor of campus sexual assault. #MeToo I was raped by a fellow student during my first year of college. That experience was a traumatic one and greatly impacted my mental health for many years. I also believe that I am the person who I am today because of what happened. My energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to issues of student safety, health and well-being are in large part due to being a survivor. My experience shapes my purpose as a leader and as an educator. I share my story in part so that others may know that they are not alone, but also to help provide another tangible “face” to this issue.

Want To Be a Student Leader but Don’t Know Where To Start? ELAB Wants You!
The Office of the Vice President for Student Engagement & Well-Being is now accepting student nominations for our inaugural Emerging Leaders Advisory Boards (ELAB) – one for undergraduate students and one for graduate students.  In alignment with and support of the John Lewis Student Leadership Pathways, the ELAB’s are intended to ensure that students who may not be as actively connected to the Georgia Tech administration or as regularly involved with Institute student life have the chance to share their thoughts and inform decision-making. 

Appointed members will be students who demonstrate potential as future leaders but have not yet had a chance to participate in formal, established leadership pathways on campus. As such, the ELABs augment – but do not replace - existing student shared governance organizations and other administrative boards/committees so as to help amplify student voices and perspectives.  Visit this link to learn more about this student board or nominate a student today here: https://baseline.campuslabs.com/gatech/elabnom.

Closing Thoughts
With only a few short weeks to go in the term, I wish you the absolute best with finals and the remainder of the semester! The Division of Student Engagement & Well-Being remains committed to supporting your success. As a reminder, there are a wide range of programs and services across Georgia Tech available to assist you in your times of need. Let us know if, when, or how we can help!