The Students Rights and Responsibilities office, the Interfraternity Council and the Greek Life Program are co-sponsoring “It’s on Us,” a national week of action, through Nov. 14.
“It’s on Us” is a campaign that launched in September 2014 and was created to increase awareness of and education about campus sexual assault. During this week, both campuses will conduct pledge drives where students will commit to help keep men and women safe from sexual assault and hear consent presentations.
The scheduled events are as follows:
–12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, a consent presentation for fraternities on the Edinburg campus in Health Sciences and Health Services West building, Room 1.404;
–12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, a consent presentation in Main Building 2.236 on the Brownsville campus;
–11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, a pledge drive in the Student Union Commons on the Edinburg campus;
–noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a consent presentation for sororities in the Education Building, Room 1.102 –11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Take the Pledge in the Main Courtyard on the Brownsville campus.
“We all hold the power to greatly reduce [assault] or eliminate [assault] from being such a prominent problem,” said David Marquez, assistant director of Student Rights and Responsibilities on the Brownsville campus. “What we’re going to be doing is hosting a few trainings on consent. What is consent and what’s not.”
The university’s handbook of operating procedures defines consent as “knowing and voluntary words or actions clearly expressing mutually understandable permission to engage in each instance of sexual activity. Silence, in and of itself, cannot be interpreted as consent.”
To learn more about the “It’s on Us” campaign, visit the website at www. itsonus.org.
