FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 25, 2006
Local contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7119

National Contact: Amanda Mahnke
Amanda@turnerstrategies.com
(202) 466-9633

MUW to participate in AAUW initiative to build a harassment-free campus
 
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi University for Women was one of only 11 colleges across the country recently chosen to receive funding from the American Association of University Women to combat sexual harassment on college campuses. The program was fully funded at $4,000.
   
The 2005-06 Campus Action Project is aimed at building a harassment-free campus and developing tools that will help the entire campus community to address the problem.
   
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to partner with AAUW to develop strategies that can be implemented nationally to address sexual harassment on college campuses,” said Dr. Patricia Donat, MUW professor of psychology and project advisor. “Our program, in particular, is focused on the silent witnesses of harassment—those who see it but do nothing. MUW students and faculty will develop public service announcements and sponsor public performances to empower students to challenge behavior that creates a hostile environment.”
   
MUW’s CAP Team has scheduled various activities for the upcoming months including public service announcements, a T-shirt giveaway, a theater performance and a “Breaking the Silence” event in which supporters gather silently and then host speakers. The team includes Dr. Donat, Dr. Martin L. Hatton, Dr. Amy Pardo and students Megan Roberts, Brandi Watkins and Randy Lawrence. Other faculty and students are invited to participate.
   
A report released on Tuesday by the AAUW Educational Foundation suggests that sexual harassment pervades campus life. According to “Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus,” a majority of U.S. college students said they have encountered some type of sexual harassment.
   
Ruth Sweetser, president of the AAUW, said, “A campus environment that permits inappropriate verbal and physical contact undermines the emotional, intellectual and professional growth of millions of young adults.
   
“In such a setting, young men and women fail to learn appropriate behaviors essential for success later in life. We need to support efforts that help them determine where, and how, to draw the line on sexual harassment.”
   
The AAUW Educational Foundation is a leader in research on the educational and economic states of women and girls. Its research on gender equity issues raises public awareness and provides a call to action for educational institutions, policy-makers, legislators and the public. The Educational Foundation is also one of the world’s larges sources of funding exclusively for graduate women.