'It's On Us' pledge drive encouraging students, staff, and faculty to stand up to sexual assault

UI students leading campus participation in national initiative

UI student organizations are encouraging students, faculty, and staff to take the “It’s On Us” pledge against sexual assault—a personal commitment to help keep people of all genders safe from sexual assault, and a promise not to be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution. Photos by Tom Jorgensen.

By: Office of Strategic Communication | 2014.10.28 | 01:43 pm

University of Iowa students, staff, and faculty are being encouraged to take a stand against sexual assault by making the “It’s On Us” pledge.

Today, the University of Iowa Student Government (UISG), Graduate & Professional Student Government (GPSG), and the President’s Student Advisory Committee on Sexual Misconduct held an “It’s On Us” pledge drive on the Pentacrest. People can also make the pledge from 11 a.m. — 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 29 on the T. Anne Cleary Walkway; and Thursday, Oct. 30 in the Eckstein Medical Research Building atrium.

Today, UI student leaders held on “It’s On Us” pledge drive on the Pentacrest. UI student organizations are leading the campus’ involvement in the White House initiative aimed at helping put an end to sexual assault on college campuses.

The “It’s On Us” pledge is a personal commitment to help keep people of all genders safe from sexual assault, and a promise not to be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution. UI student organizations are leading the campus drive, which follows the White House initiative announced last month to end sexual assault on college campuses.

“It’s extremely important to take a stand because there’s no place for sexual assault on campus and it’s an issue that affects everyone,” says Patrick Bartoski, UISG president and UI junior. “Everyone on campus can come together to help survivors and promote bystander intervention; all of us can work together to help stop this terrible thing.”

For more information, visit itsonus.org.uiowa.edu/.

The UI is committed to preventing sexual violence, providing support to survivors, and holding offenders accountable. Since its announcement in February, the UI has made substantial progress on implementing president Sally Mason’s Six Point Plan to Combat Sexual Assault.

Many resources are also available across campus for students, survivors, and family members, including: