The University has won its bid for a grant to help it develop new and existing initiatives that combat sexual violence, harassment and hate crime on campus.
As a result, it has been awarded £50,000 from HEFCE’s (Higher Education Council for England) Catalyst Fund. Established in 2016, this fund has awarded grants to over 60 projects in universities and colleges across England which address concerns about sexual violence and harassment on campus.
The grants were issued in response to a report by the Universities UK Harassment Task Force which explored the nature and scale of the problem in higher education, and highlighted the need for institutions to respond more effectively.
Dr Wayne Campbell, Director of Student Services, said: ‘We are all committed to ensuring that Kent remains a safe place to live and study. The HEFCE grant provides a real opportunity for us to build upon the good work that is already taking place at the University.’
The majority of the grant will be used to fund the expansion of a bystander intervention initiative. First developed by the University of the West of England, the Intervention Initiative is an evidence based educational resource for universities and colleges to use in the prevention of sexual coercion and domestic abuse in university settings.
The University will be hosting a Violence against Wo/men Forum on Thursday 20 April 2017, where staff can learn more about the Intervention Initiative. Please email directorstudentservices@kent.ac.uk for further information or to register.