The Sexual Assault Response Team is dedicated to raising awareness about sexual assault, increasing the safety of our students, and coordinating responses to sexual assault victims in the Georgia Southern Community. It is our hope, that through education and consciousness-raising, the incidence and ignorance of sexual assault can be drastically reduced. SART strives to continually update the services offered to sexual assault survivors. Our goal is to communicate to survivors that they are not alone.
Functions
SART Functions Include:
Programming Development and Implementation
Coordination of Response Services & Protocols
Training
Curriculum Development
Consultation
Community Engagement
Fundraising
Research
Participation in local judicial court circuit SARTs
SART has been actively involved in Sexual Assault Awareness Programming on the national level. The team has been recognized for its outstanding breadth of activities at conferences and by well-known activists. In 2007, SART founded the Georgia College Sexual Assault Association Network to coordinate efforts throughout the state for legislative reform regarding sexually violent crimes. And in 2008, SART was awarded the Gold Excellence Award from NASPA for programming in the area of Health and Wellness.
History of SART
Established in 1997, Georgia Southern University’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) ensures that the university uniformly and effectively responds to sexual assault cases on campus. The mission of the team has grown to include preventative programs and risk reduction, including programs for all First Year Experience courses and specially tailored programs for the Greek organizations, athletic teams, residence halls, Statesboro law enforcement officers and attorneys, and other groups.
The first year, SART focused on coordinating services and policies, and the team helped the university clarify the definition of and penalties for sexual assault in the Student Conduct Code. (Sexual Assault: Facts and Education). In 2002 ASAP and SAFE combined to become SAPA (Sexual Assault Prevention Advocates). SAPA was recognized as an official student organization in 2004. In 2010 SAPA changed their name to Sexual Assault Student Educators (SASE).
In addition to expanding its outreach teams, SART has worked diligently to diversify its impact on both the Georgia Southern University campus as well as the local community. When the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit met to develop its tri-county Sexual Assault Response Protocol (as required by Georgia State legislation), it used SART’s campus protocol as its model.
Further, given the lack of rape/sexual assault crisis services in the many counties surrounding the university, SART collaborated with local residents to establish the Statesboro Regional Sexual Assault Center (SR-SAC). Since the founding of SART its chair has remained an active board member of SR-SAC, which now has its own administrative office, an executive director, a sustainable budget, and a community board of directors. In addition, in 2007, SR-SAC was designated as the official sexual violence response agency by the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit.
Joining SART
The Sexual Assault Response Team is a multidisciplinary team with representatives from various on and off-campus departments and organizations.
Participation is voluntary and open to all Georgia Southern University faculty and staff on any of our three campuses: Statesboro, Armstrong, and Liberty. Time commitment varies from person to person. Some folks choose to join the Google group, while others actively attend meetings, assist in coordination and planning, and/or facilitate programming. Meetings occur on the first Wednesday of the month at 8:15 AM via Zoom.
If you are a faculty or staff member and want to join SART, please click below:
JED Campus is a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation designed to help colleges and universities enhance emotional well-being and mental health promotion efforts, reduce substance abuse, and prevent suicide among students.
