As members of the greater educational community, we at Winona State University feel the impact of the tragic events that took place on May 23rd at the University of California Santa Barbara. I ask that you please keep the Santa Barbara community in your thoughts and prayers.
The more we learned about this tragedy, the more it became clear that these horrifying killings were an act of Gender Based Violence (GBV). GBV is a concern on every college campus, and one we share at Winona State. While we have not experienced anything like what our colleagues at UC Santa Barbara have experienced, members of our WSU community experience GBV far too often. That’s why I’m proud that campus colleagues took the initiative to secure for WSU a grant designed to address GBV in our campus community. This past spring we launched the Recognizing Equality Initiative, designed to raise awareness and put an end to gender based violence at WSU. To learn more about the Recognizing Equality Initiative, please visit: http://winonastatenews.com/5556/recognizing-equality-initiative/
There are a number of ways that we can support our colleagues in Santa Barbara, but please also consider what you can do to help end GBV right here at WSU. To learn more about what you can do, please visit the Gender Based Violence Advocacy Program website or call 507-457-5610 to reach the GBV Help Line. I invite everyone in the WSU community to join me in ensuring that WSU provides a safe and welcoming environment for all.
