CMU students can feel a bit safer this year with the implementation of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).

Sexual violence can be defined as any sexual act that is perpetrated against someone’s will, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Available to all students, SART connects all the resources for sexual assault that are accessible on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These resources include mental health assistance, psychological and medical services, alternative housing and academic support.

“In cases of something as horrible as sexual assault, our obligation is heightened and we want to make sure that we have a holistic response to support that student,” said John Marshall, Vice President of Student Services.

According to Marshall, the idea for SART is to have a trained first responder on call 24 hours a day who can provide a confidential service and point students in the appropriate direction after going through some type of trauma.
“If you stop and think about it, we’ve always had the resources in place,” Marshall said. “SART is simply a way to incorporate all of these services.”

SART is not only an emergency service, but a support service as well. Students who are new to CMU this year who have experienced sexual violence in their past now have the opportunity to speak to someone who can help them address any issues they may have.

“Most of the people who use SART are people who experienced sexual assault or trauma in high school and never talked about it,” Resident Assistant Cheyenne Paningsoro said. “Now that they’re in college they use SART to talk to someone for support, and it encourages new victims to seek help as well.”

Another advantage to having a program like SART on campus is that it is free and convenient for all students. Because the services offered were already in place, the program is not costing anything extra for the school or students.
“The only cost is the cost of a cell phone for an on-call person and promotional business cards,” Marshall said.

For Marshall, the real focus is not only on providing assistance to students after an instance of sexual assault, but on ensuring a safe environment and promoting healthy relationships so that students understand how to make good choices.

“It’s like an emergency room – you don’t want it unless you need it,” Marshall said.

Students can make use of SART by calling 970-270-5895.