Wear Jeans on April 23rd to Support Denim Day
Dear Facilities and Operations Employees,
Every April, Columbia University supports opportunities, events, and discussions during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
One of the activities we support is Denim Day, a global campaign in which the donning of jeans symbolizes support for sexual violence prevention and education. As officers and administrators of the University, let us stand together against sexual violence by wearing jeans on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 for Denim Day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of sexual violence in our country is stark: 1 in 5 American women (18.3%) and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) have been raped at some time in their lives. Last week, President Bollinger announced Columbia University's efforts to address sexual misconduct. Below are several ways you can participate and show your support:
- Wear jeans (or for uniformed staff, "Denim Day" buttons) on April 23, 2014. Our normal business dress code will be relaxed on that day. Please note that staff required to wear uniforms as part of their daily work should continue to wear their uniforms but are encouraged to wear "Denim Day" buttons available from your supervisor.
- Attend a SAAM event, such as the Take Back the Night march or the Clery Lecture. Dates, times and locations are available at health.columbia.edu/SAAM.
- Make an Impact: Pledge online to end sexual violence.
For more information:
- Questions about on-campus events and other opportunities to participate during SAAM:
- Columbia Health's Sexual Violence Response, (212) 854-HELP/4357.
- Employees seeking support and resources for themselves:
- Sexual Respect Online Portal: http://titleix.columbia.edu/
- Employee Assistance Program: (888) 673-1153
- Employees reporting an incident:
- Against an employee: Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, http://eoaa.columbia.edu/report-incident
- Against a student: Student Services for Gender-Based and Sexual Misconduct: http://ssgbsm.columbia.edu/
We hope you will join us as we aim to raise awareness of sexual violence/sexual assault to address and end sexual violence in our communities.
Joe Ienuso