The grants to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus program (campus program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20125

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women awarded Niagara University a $400,000 grant under the Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program (CFDA #16.525). This 3-year project award will allow Niagara University, in collaboration with three victim service providers and two criminal justice agencies, to continue implementing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to combating these crimes on campus. Key activities include: establishing an annual policy review process; institutionalizing mandatory training for all incoming students; enhancing prevention programming and training for diverse student populations; developing new-hire and ongoing training for campus personnel; designing and distributing prevention and intervention materials; and implementing a restorative justice process. The project aims to improve victim services, strengthen security and investigation strategies, and hold offenders accountable through these coordinated community-based efforts.

The program provides a unique opportunity for institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary approaches to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses. These comprehensive efforts are designed to enhance victim services (including legal services), implement prevention and education programs, and develop and strengthen security and investigation strategies to prevent, prosecute, and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The campus program supports activities that develop campus-based coordinated responses among campus victim services, campus law enforcement, health care providers, housing officials, administrators, student leaders, faith-based organizations, student organizations, and disciplinary boards, and enhance victim safety and assistance and hold offenders accountable. To be effective, these responses must be linked to local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors offices, courts, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim advocacy and victim services organizations. Niagara university is a private, catholic institution located in lewiston, new york. With this continuation award, niagara university, in collaboration with three victim service providers: ywca of the niagara frontier, pinnacle community services, and the seven dancers coalition and two criminal justice agencies: the niagara county sheriffs office and the new york state police, will continue to meet the statutory and programmatic requirements. In addition, the project will: 1. Establish an annual review and revision process of policies and procedures surrounding domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 2. Institutionalize and advance mandatory training to better address the critical issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking for all incoming students; 3. Institutionalize and enhance prevention programming and provide ongoing training for all students with a focus on key subpopulations on campus, including (but not limited to): international students, students with disabilities, the lgbtq community, graduate students, students of color, students involved in club sports, faculty/staff/administration; 4. Develop and/or strengthen and institutionalize new-hire training and current training programs for campus safety personnel, disciplinary boards, faculty, and staff on how to effectively respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 5. Continue to design and implement developmental, culturally appropriate, and linguistically accessible print and electronic materials to address both prevention and intervention in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking; and 6. Develop and implement a restorative justice process.