Telephone numbers for Public Safety, SHARE, McCosh Health Center and SECH will now be posted on every blue-light phone to address safety concerns on campus.
"It's a simple way to increase the safety and comfort of students, particularly women," USG vice president Sonya Mirbagheri '04 said, citing a need to make available "safety information more specific than just Public Safety."
The project was coordinated by the USG Women's Issues Task Force.
Mirbagheri serves on the safety subcommittee of the task force, which was created a year ago to address issues raised in the USG Committee on Women's Issues' report.
The group came up with the idea last year and obtained support and funding from the office of Vice President for Campus Life.
In October, Mirbagheri met with Thema Bryant-Davis, coordinator of Sexual Harassment/Assault/Advising, Resources and Education, who advised the group on which phone numbers to provide. Public Safety assisted with the logistics of posting the numbers on phones across campus.
Though the number is low, there were more reported incidents of sexual assault on campus last year than in the two previous years. Four cases were reported to Public Safety in 2001, up from just one in 1999 and two in 2000, according to the crime statistics compiled by Public Safety.
In addition, six other incidents were reported last year to other campus officials, Bryant-Davis said, though she said she suspects the actual number of assaults is higher.
According to the USG report, though women generally feel safe on campus, "sexual harassment and coercion can be frequent results of the alcohol-focused social scene at the 'Street.' "
The report, which was compiled primarily based on surveys and interviews, highlighted the need for increased publicity about Sexuality Education Counseling and Health and SHARE and recommended the installation of more blue-light phones.
"Having blue-light phones in so many places is key because it may help prevent an assault from occurring," Bryant-Davis said. "But if an assault has already happened, the more visible the numbers are, the more likely it will be that people will call in."
She stressed that professionals at SHARE and McCosh Health Center are always on call both for medical and counseling needs, so that students who do not wish to involve the police have another place to turn.
Erin Culbertson '03, co-founder of the Organization of Women Leaders and a member of the Take Back the Night planning committee, agreed that providing access to alternative resources is beneficial.
"In cases of sexual assault or rape, sometimes Public Safety can be intimidating, and they don't necessarily know where to refer the person," she said.
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