Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today announced 37 institutions of higher education and postsecondary schools have been awarded It’s On Us PA grants of up to $60,000 each, totaling more than $1.4 million, in order to combat sexual assault and make our campuses safer.
It’s On Us PA is a statewide campaign that invites everyone to play a role in ending sexual assault. Building off the momentum of the national It's On Us movement, It's On Us PA brings together college and university presidents, superintendents, administrators, teachers, students, families, and community members to reframe the conversation around sexual violence and pledge to be part of the solution.
“The It’s On Us PA campaign cultivates change and provides colleges, universities, and postsecondary career and trade schools with the support and resources necessary to protect learning environments and ensure they are free from sexual assault, harassment, and violence,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “All Pennsylvanians deserve a safe learning environment. By participating in the It’s On Us PA grant program, higher education institutions are making their campus communities safer and more welcoming for the students who call them home.”
The following institutions received It's On Us PA grants:
Adams County:
- Gettysburg College, $40,000
Allegheny County:
- Carnegie Mellon University, $40,000
- Duquesne University, $40,000
- Pennsylvania Gunsmith School, $1,779
- Point Park University, $40,000
- Robert Morris University, $40,000
Berks County:
- Kutztown University, $40,000
Cambria County:
- Saint Francis University, $40,000
Centre County:
- Pennsylvania State University, $60,000
Chester County:
- Contemporary Health Career Institute, $6,160
- Immaculata University, $40,000
- West Chester University, $51,813
Columbia County:
- Commonwealth University, $60,000
Cumberland County:
- Shippensburg University, $34,200
Delaware County:
- Eastern University, $40,000
- Haverford College, $40,000
- Villanova University, $49,290
Erie County:
- Gannon University, $40,000
Huntingdon County:
- Juniata College, $40,000
Lackawanna County:
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, $40,000
- University of Scranton, $40,000
Lancaster County:
- Franklin and Marshall College, $39,330
Lehigh County:
- Cedar Crest College, $40,000
- DeSales University, $10,700
- Lehigh University, $37,200
Lycoming County:
- Lycoming College, $40,000
Mercer County:
- Thiel College, $40,000
Montgomery County:
- Manor College, $39,799
Northampton County:
- Lafayette College, $40,000
Philadelphia County:
- Community College of Philadelphia, $60,000
- Holy Family University, $40,000
- Saint Joseph’s University, $36,158
- Temple University, $20,000
Snyder County:
- Susquehanna University, $37,100
Westmoreland County:
- Saint Vincent College, $40,000
- Seton Hill University, $40,000
York County:
- York College of Pennsylvania, $35,000
The grants provide funding from January 2024 through May 2025 to implement strategies on campuses to address goals of the It’s On Us PA campaign, which include:
- Improve awareness, prevention, reporting, and response systems regarding sexual violence in schools, colleges, and universities to better serve all students.
- Remove or reduce barriers that prevent survivors of sexual violence from reporting incidents or accessing vital resources by creating a more consistent, empowering reporting process for student survivors of gender-based violence.
- Demonstrate significant, proactive, and sustainable leadership to change campus culture by challenging Pennsylvania’s education leaders – including college and university presidents – as well as students, teachers, faculty, staff, families, and communities to pledge to improve their institutions’ climates.
The national It's On Us campaign was created by the Obama Administration to raise awareness about sexual assault, teach participants that assault includes non-consensual sex, advise them on how to identify dangerous situations, empower them to intervene, and urge them to create an environment of support for victims and survivors.
Act 55 of 2022 expanded these efforts by requiring all institutions of higher education and postsecondary private licensed schools to adopt a definition of consent as part of their code of conduct or sexual misconduct or harassment policy. Each institution is also required to enter into and maintain a memorandum of understanding with at least one rape crisis center and one domestic violence program to provide services to students and assist with the implementation of an educational program that includes sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking education prevention and response. Resources may be found on PDE’s website, including an informational video from the national It’s On Us organization.