Bowie State University recently released the details for its first sexual violence mini-conference of the new year. Sponsored and developed by the university’s Partners in Peace program, the conferences are designed to raise awareness and reduce occurrences of sexual violence on campus and among students.

The Feb. 2 mini-conference will feature discussion on LGBTQIA issues, and will host Dr. D. LaShay Harvey leading talks on same-sex sexual violence, concerns and resources for members of the LGBTQIA community.

Bowie State junior Amber Nutter is a social work major and peer educator in the Partners in Peace program. She credits interaction in student settings as a best practice for beginning the sexual violence awareness process.

In addition to regular workshops on sexual violence, Bowie State employs a Campus and Community Response Team (CCRT), a sexual violence task force comprised of BSU students, faculty and staff members and other community representatives.

“The Campus and Community Response Team plays a vital role in our efforts to effectively address on campus sexual violence issues,” says Simpdy Merelan, BSU Sexual Assault Program Coordinator. “CCRT serves as a spring board for important sexual violence initiatives at Bowie State University. For example, the CCRT developed a sexual assault and intimate partner violence reporting process. This reporting process was established so that the University would have a unified approach to addressing sexual violence on our campus.”