In the Spotlight

When asked to give an example of a memorable college experience, most people may respond with memories of excitement when they first arrived on campus, meeting their new roommate and seeing their dorm room…or… the exhilaration of taking that first class in their major and knowing that this is what they were meant to do with their life….or… the amazing energy felt attending their first football or basketball game and rooting for their school.

Unfortunately, for many college students, that memorable college experience may include rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

The UCF Title IX Program is here to help our community members when sexual misconduct, interpersonal violence, or stalking occurs. Led by Title IX Coordinator Dawn Welkie, a 20-year veteran prosecutor whose career specialized in Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence, the UCF Title IX Program not only deals with the aftermath of these traumatizing events, but also, promotes preventative programs and training to make UCF a safer place.

One of the major goals Dawn has set for the UCF Title IX Program is to promote participation from all areas of the UCF community and to include the voice of all units, departments, and community members in the process. Whether it is the remarkable care students receive from Student Care Services, CAPs, or Student Health Services, or the unparalleled efforts of Victim Services providing support to victims as well as undertaking campus wide initiatives like the Green Dot Bystander Program, all hands are needed on deck to help with this daunting problem. UCF community participation does not stop with the divisions and units who directly provide student services; it includes all of us. Responsible employees, including faculty, need to assure that incidents of sexual misconduct, interpersonal violence, and stalking are reported to the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs office. Bystanders who witness incidents need to take active, but safe steps to directly intervene, distract long enough to allow the victimized individual to escape or de-escalate the situation, or delegate to a person in authority (like the police or a supervisor) to help in the intervention.

Together, as a community, we can make UCF a safer place and create more positive, memorable moments for UCF students, faculty, and staff.

For more information about Title IX, please visit the UCF Shield Website at https://shield.ucf.edu/.