Springfield College Partners with YWCA of Western Massachusetts on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

Springfield College has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, Inc., to work together to provide trauma-informed services to student and employee victims of gender-based misconduct. Both parties share the goal of preventing sexual assault and intimate partner violence on campus and in the community, and respond appropriately to students and employees who have been victimized.

For Springfield College, the agreement highlights its commitment to prevent sexual assault on the campus, to encourage individuals to report incidents, to urge bystander intervention, and to maintain and continue a safe learning environment for all students.

“This MOU is an exciting step in developing a closer collaboration between Springfield College and the YWCA,” said Springfield College Title IX Coordinator Rebecca Edwards. “I know that our entire campus community will benefit from this relationship, and from the resources that the YWCA offers. I look forward to working closely with this new community partner.”

As part of the agreement, Springfield College and the YWCA will make 24-hour crisis hotline services available to students and employees, provide students and employees with information on how to report a crime, and participate in working groups addressing sexual assault on college campuses.

In addition, YWCA representatives will meet periodically with the College’s Title IX coordinator and dean of students/deputy Title IX coordinator to share information about the needs of victims, trends in sexual assault services provided, and highlight on-campus resources that are available to student and employee victims of sexual assault.

The YWCA of Western Massachusetts is one of 300 local associations in the United States. For nearly 150 years, the YWCA has served our region, guided by its founding principle: to provide shelter, support services, and tools for self-sufficiency for women and girls in our community. Today, the YWCA provides safe places for women and children in crisis.