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Russell Sage College has received the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention, which is presented by Vector Solutions for Higher Education to institutions of higher education that have demonstrated leadership in digital programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.
Vector Solutions helps campuses create lasting, large-scale change on issues related to alcohol and other drugs; sexual assault and harassment; diversity and inclusion; and mental health.
“This recognition says a lot to our campus community,” said Amanda Bastiani, Title IX coordinator and EEO specialist at Russell Sage College. “It demonstrates that we care, and we have a campus community that takes prevention-education seriously. It’s part of our overall support for students and attention to creating a community that is safe for all.”
“The CPN Seal of Prevention recipients reflect the top 10% of colleges and universities nationwide that have demonstrated their commitment and investment to not only academics but also the well-being of their students and the overall college experience,” said Jonathan Cherins, CEO at Vector Solutions. “Vector Solutions is proud to recognize the great work these leading institutions and organizations are doing and the commitment that we also share to making higher education communities safer and more inclusive.”
Russell Sage College uses a combination of online and in-person programming to educate students about building healthy relationships, preventing harassment and sexual assault, and making healthier decisions about substance use, Bastiani said.
For example, all new first-year students at Russell Sage College take an online sexual assault prevention training and an online training titled “AlcoholEdu,” which provides information about the use and misuse of alcohol and other drugs. Student-athletes and coaching staff participate in additional online trainings around sexual assault prevention that are designed specifically for athletics, per NCAA requirements.
Bastiani also works with campus partners like Sage’s general education program, Residence Life, Women’s Institute, and Wellness Center, and with community partners including St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services and Albany County’s Crime Victim & Sexual Violence Center, to offer in-person leadership development, prevention trainings, and community service activities.
In-person campus activities this month include a film and discussion about dating violence and outreach tables on both Sage campuses in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month; a “Love Should be Sweet” themed fundraiser to support Equinox, Albany County’s domestic violence services agency; and Strong Through Every Mile, a couch-to-5K empowerment program for those directly or indirectly impacted by domestic abuse and intimate partner violence.
“I’ll also be bringing back the Mentors in Violence Prevention program, starting with athletics and expanding to other leadership groups, ” she said, acknowledging the international program that focuses on leadership and the power of the bystander to impact intervention efforts.
“Often, the focus is on first-year and new students and specific populations like athletes and RAs, but my plan is to reach all students throughout their time here,” she said.