PAVE, a sexual assault awareness student group on campus, requested a slight raise in funding to help foster growing student interest when presenting its 2015-’16 budget at a Student Services Finance Committee meeting Monday.
Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment is a peer-to-peer student organization dedicated to preventing sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking through education and activism, according to its website. They provide workshops and events including Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
PAVE requested a $947.11 increase from the current budget of $81,343.31. PAVE representatives proposed increasing funding for ongoing campus awareness because they project larger campus interest in sexual assault prevention.
While the committee questioned the low attendance of past events, PAVE Chair Hannah Serwe said she believes there will be an increase in attendance because of the It’s On Us campaign through the White House and the increased media coverage.
“Not a lot of people want to go to an event where they are going to hear about crimes that are being committed in their area, but it is really important that we hold the events,” Serwe said. “I don’t believe that small turnout necessarily means a failed event.”
Serwe said PAVE noticed an increase in people who want to get involved within the first months of school. In its Wisconsin Welcome Week event, 200 students attended.
SSFC representatives also asked about the funds for Social Work 672, a service learning course where students learn about different forms of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.
SSFC will make a budget decision Thursday.
