SUNY Potsdam Joins Culture of Respect Collective

SUNY Potsdam Joins NASPA's Culture of Respect Collective, Working to Address Campus Sexual Violence at Universities Across North America

Potsdam, NY (04/14/2023) — SUNY Potsdam is proud to have joined a group of 21 colleges and universities from across North America for the sixth cohort of NASPA's Culture of Respect Collective program.

The Culture of Respect Collective is an ambitious two-year program that guides cohort institutions through a rigorous process of self-assessment and targeted organizational change. Its goal is to build the capacity of educational institutions to end sexual violence through ongoing, expansive organizational change. SUNY Potsdam began the process last year, led by a task force with representatives from across campus.

"SUNY Potsdam is enthusiastic about the steps we are making already as we work with our higher education peers to combat campus sexual violence. We look forward to our continued involvement as we work together to create a campus community in which all students, faculty and staff can thrive in a Culture of Respect," said Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Jacqueline Richardson-Melecio.

Each diverse cohort of the Culture of Respect Collective relies on an expert-developed public health framework, cross-campus collaboration and peer-led learning to make meaningful programmatic and policy changes. More than 125 colleges and universities have participated in the program since its creation. The program has shown itself to be an adaptable model that helps institutions work across departmental siloes and stay connected with peers as they engage in the critical work of comprehensively addressing campus sexual violence, within a shifting social and political landscape.

"Being a part of the Culture of Respect Initiative has been a wonderful opportunity for our entire campus community to engage in efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence. It has been a pleasure to work with our campus leadership team to implement change on the SUNY Potsdam campus. I look forward to the positive direction the campus is going with the guidance of the initiative," said Title IX Coordinator Andrea Waters '01.

"Our membership in the Culture of Respect program was initiated in response to students' desire for change in how the campus responds to sexual violence and supports our students. I am excited to be part of the campus leadership team aimed at doing that," said Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards Patrick Meldrim.

Culture of Respect institutions work to make improvements in six key areas: Survivor support services, sexual misconduct policies and procedures, multitiered education, schoolwide mobilization, public disclosure and ongoing self-assessment. To learn more about SUNY Potsdam's work, visit www.potsdam.edu/about/safety/culture-respect-suny-potsdam.

About NASPA:

NASPA -- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. NASPA's work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries and eight U.S. territories.