Featured Stories
WNE Law Highlights Pathways to Protect Homeownership and Generational Wealth
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts, Nov. 5 -- Western New England University issued the following news:
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WNE Law Highlights Pathways to Protect Homeownership and Generational Wealth
By: Ariel Casella '27 | November 04, 2026
For many families, a home represents more than a place to live. It is a source of stability, a financial asset, and a legacy intended to be passed from one generation to the next. Yet for thousands of families across the country, legal complications surrounding inherited property can put those goals at risk.
To explore solutions to this challenge, Western New England University
... Show Full Article
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts, Nov. 5 -- Western New England University issued the following news:
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WNE Law Highlights Pathways to Protect Homeownership and Generational Wealth
By: Ariel Casella '27 | November 04, 2026
For many families, a home represents more than a place to live. It is a source of stability, a financial asset, and a legacy intended to be passed from one generation to the next. Yet for thousands of families across the country, legal complications surrounding inherited property can put those goals at risk.
To explore solutions to this challenge, Western New England UniversitySchool of Law recently convened housing leaders, legal professionals, policymakers, and community advocates for Untangling Titles: Preserving Homeownership and Generational Wealth in Underserved Communities.
The conference focused on heirs' property, a form of ownership that arises when property is passed down without a clear transfer of title. While often overlooked, these legal complications can make it difficult for families to retain inherited homes, access financing, make improvements, or transfer property to future generations. The issue can also contribute to neighborhood vacancy, housing instability, and the loss of generational wealth.
The conference's keynote speaker, Thomas Mitchell, MacArthur Fellow and founding director of the Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights at Boston College Law School, shared insights from decades of work advancing legal reforms that help families retain inherited property and preserve generational wealth.
The event aligned with the School of Law's ongoing commitment to addressing issues that affect economic opportunity and community well being.
"Homeownership remains one of the most important pathways to economic stability and generational wealth," said Zelda Harris, dean of Western New England University School of Law. "The law school is committed to advancing solutions to economic inequality through its programs, clinics, and faculty scholarship. This conference brings together experts and practitioners from across the country to discuss practical solutions that can help families preserve assets, which in turn strengthen communities."
The gathering brought together voices from across the legal, housing, nonprofit, and public sectors to examine how policy, legal services, and community partnerships can help families navigate title issues and maintain ownership of inherited property.
For communities like Springfield, resolving these issues can strengthen neighborhoods and support broader revitalization efforts.
"The tangled titles that often result from heirs' property impact the housing stock in cities like Springfield, contributing to vacancy and complicating neighborhood revitalization efforts," said Dina Fein, retired judge of the Western Division Housing Court and former interim director of the law school's Center of Social Justice. "We hope the conference will catalyze conversations and planning in the local legal community, so that heirs can get timely and effective estate planning and probate assistance to preserve their family homes in a way that allows neighborhoods to thrive as well."
The event reflected the School of Law's commitment to advancing solutions-oriented conversations that connect legal scholarships with real world challenges. By bringing together leaders from law, housing, government, and community organizations, Western New England University fostered dialogue focused on preserving family assets, strengthening neighborhoods, and expanding pathways to economic opportunity.
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Original text here: https://wne.edu/news/2026/11/Law-school-heirs-titles
UW's 12th Annual Giving Day Raises $3.35M in 24 Hours
LARAMIE, Wyoming, Nov. 5 -- The University of Wyoming posted the following news:
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UW's 12th Annual Giving Day Raises $3.35M in 24 Hours
November 04, 2026
For the University of Wyoming's 12th annual Giving Day, 8,088 donors contributed $3,351,259 in support of UW colleges, programs, student organizations and more, surpassing the event's goal of 7,220 donors. Before the day began, donors provided more than $1 million in matching and challenge funds that encouraged this level of support.
"The response to this year's Giving Day says a lot about the people who care about the University of
... Show Full Article
LARAMIE, Wyoming, Nov. 5 -- The University of Wyoming posted the following news:
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UW's 12th Annual Giving Day Raises $3.35M in 24 Hours
November 04, 2026
For the University of Wyoming's 12th annual Giving Day, 8,088 donors contributed $3,351,259 in support of UW colleges, programs, student organizations and more, surpassing the event's goal of 7,220 donors. Before the day began, donors provided more than $1 million in matching and challenge funds that encouraged this level of support.
"The response to this year's Giving Day says a lot about the people who care about the University ofWyoming," says Scott Macdonald, chair of the UW Foundation Board. "Thousands chose to support UW and the students who will shape its future. That kind of commitment is encouraging, and I'm proud of what we accomplished together. On behalf of the Foundation Board, thank you to everyone who took part."
UW Giving Day (www.uwyo.edu/givingday) took place from noon Wednesday, Oct. 21, to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. This year's theme, "It's Giving," celebrated the many ways generosity connects the UW community. The 281 campaigns represented academic colleges and units, athletics, and student clubs and organizations, among other programs.
"Giving Day is more than a 24-hour fundraising campaign," says Kate Schlomer, the UW Foundation's director of annual giving. "It's an opportunity for the UW community to show its pride, celebrate the university's impact and help create opportunities for future generations of Cowboys and Cowgirls. Gifts of all sizes contribute to a collective effort that reaches across campus and extends throughout Wyoming and beyond."
Since its inception in 2015, UW Giving Day has been a cornerstone event that nurtures a culture of giving at the university and across the state. It unites donors, alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the university in the shared missions of education, research and service -- and in creating a prosperous future for our state.
"The University of Wyoming is on the rise," says Jill Higham, senior vice president for development at the UW Foundation. "Giving Day reminds us that we can all come together to ensure a better future -- for individual students and for our great state."
The success of this year's Giving Day was driven by the enthusiastic participation of students, faculty and staff from across the university and the passionate support of community advocates, who took to social media to spread the word. On the Monday before, UW President Shane Reeves crossed campus on a golf cart for the Cash Cart Bonanza, awarding $100 to each student's areas of choice. Community advocates alone generated 1,656 gifts totaling $215,449.
"I want to thank all the donors for their generosity to this amazing university," says Pat Moran, director of Campus Recreation. "I would especially like to thank those who contributed to our club sports program, allowing our student-athletes the opportunity to connect, learn and grow through a sport they love. We are truly grateful for the impact your donations make."
This year's Giving Day was powered by more than $1 million in incentive funds through matches and challenges that helped maximize donor impact.
The UW Foundation Board provided the $130,000 Noon Kickoff Match, the $12,000 Midnight Match and the $7,220 It's Giving Student Match. The McMurry Foundation provided the $30,700 One Wyoming Match, and the two joined to provide the $150,000 Big Final Match during the event's final hours. A generous donor also provided the Final Final $50,000 match to close out Giving Day. President Reeves provided a $30,000 match for UW faculty and staff.
Three new affinity challenges debuted this year, and donors unlocked all three -- the $7,000 Pokes Recruitin' Pokes Alumni Challenge from a generous donor, the $5,000 Wellness in the WEST Faculty and Staff Challenge from the UW Foundation Board, and the $5,000 Poke Parent Challenge: Elevating Student Financial Wellness, provided by Blue Federal Credit Union. Generous donors also supported the new It's Giving Advocacy Challenge, six participation and two power hours, and $500 prizes for the 1,886th and 7,220th donors.
Competition among the donor challenges was fierce for the award total of $65,000. Western Thunder Marching Band Hat Club claimed first place in the Big Giving Day Donor Challenge, with 617 donors who contributed $71,620. The Nordic ski team came in second, with 478 donors and $42,604, and its totals also placed it first in the Student Organizations Donor Challenge.
In the Athletics Donor Challenge, the UW rodeo team earned first place, with 452 donors giving $83,754, followed by track and field and cross country, with 417 donors giving $36,474. The women's hockey club won the Club Sports Donor Challenge, with 367 donors and $116,305, followed by the men's rugby club, with 225 donors and $84,077. Sigma Phi Epsilon took first in the Fraternity and Sorority Life Donor Challenge, with 143 donors and $9,923.
UW Giving Day is more than just the total money raised, however. It also is about creating a culture of philanthropy, gratitude and giving back -- not only at UW, but across the state. It's about bringing together all of those who love Wyoming and its university and uniting them behind the common purposes of education, research and service.
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Original text here: https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/11/uws-12th-annual-giving-day-raises-3-35m-in-24-hours.html
U-M Launches National Search for Next Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Nov. 5 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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U-M launches national search for next executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine
November 4, 2026
President Domenico Grasso and President-elect C. Cybele Raver are working together to launch the search for the university's next executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine.
Ganesh Palapattu currently serves as the interim CEO and executive vice president for medical affairs.
Spencer
... Show Full Article
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Nov. 5 -- Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan, issued the following news release:
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U-M launches national search for next executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine
November 4, 2026
President Domenico Grasso and President-elect C. Cybele Raver are working together to launch the search for the university's next executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of Michigan Medicine.
Ganesh Palapattu currently serves as the interim CEO and executive vice president for medical affairs.
SpencerStuart -- a longtime Michigan partner -- will lead this search. The firm will gather input on the qualities, experience and priorities for identifying and selecting the next executive vice president. Nominations can be shared directly with Spencer Stuart at UMEVPMA@spencerstuart.com.
Keisha Blevins, deputy chief of staff and senior HR advisor in the Office of the President, will serve as search liaison. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the process.
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Original text here: https://www.uofmhealth.org/news-release/u-m-launches-national-search-next-executive-vice-president-medical-affairs-and-ceo-michigan-medicine
Rutgers: In Chatsworth, N.J., Scientists Farm for the Berry Best Varieties
NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, Nov. 5 -- Rutgers University issued the following news:
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In Chatsworth, N.J., Scientists Farm for the Berry Best Varieties
By Mike Lucas
November 4, 2026
Rutgers students enrolled in an honors seminar visit the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension
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During a mostly sunny Friday morning in early October, 11 students squatted in a basin, picking cranberries from low-creeping vines and placing them into clear plastic bags.
"Do not eat them," said Peter Oudemans, a professor of plant biology and pathology with the Rutgers
... Show Full Article
NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey, Nov. 5 -- Rutgers University issued the following news:
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In Chatsworth, N.J., Scientists Farm for the Berry Best Varieties
By Mike Lucas
November 4, 2026
Rutgers students enrolled in an honors seminar visit the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension
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During a mostly sunny Friday morning in early October, 11 students squatted in a basin, picking cranberries from low-creeping vines and placing them into clear plastic bags.
"Do not eat them," said Peter Oudemans, a professor of plant biology and pathology with the RutgersSchool of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
He was sort of kidding - and sort of not. (Many of the raw berries, which are sharply tart, sour and bitter, were rotten.)
The work of Oudemans and other scientists at the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension, a substation of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station of Rutgers University in Chatsworth, N.J., is no joke, however.
For more than a century, Rutgers researchers have worked to improve cranberry production, developing new varieties and helping growers address diseases, pests and other challenges facing the industry. Their work supports an industry that produces one of the nation's most familiar Thanksgiving staples.
In North America, Rutgers is a leading provider of improved, patented cranberry varieties, according to the university's Office for Research. Over a 20-year period, Rutgers has received more than $21 million in licensing royalties for its cranberry varieties. The university's legacy varieties - "Mullica Queen," "Demoranville" and "Crimson Queen" - have been planted on nearly 5,400 acres. "Mullica Queen," the most widely adopted variety, has been planted on about 3,600 acres. "Haines," a newer variety, has been planted on roughly 1,000 acres and "Vasanna," the newest variety, has been planted on about 100 acres.
It was week six of an interdisciplinary honors seminar called "Beyond Campus: Research at Rutgers Off-Campus Stations," in which Honors College students from Rutgers University-New Brunswick travel in a white shuttle to university field stations throughout New Jersey - something they have done each Friday over the fall semester. The students were at the Marucci Center to learn about the university's blueberry and cranberry breeding programs as well as watch a harvesting demonstration at Pine Island Cranberry Co., a family-owned farm in Chatsworth and see how cranberries are processed at the nearby Ocean Spray Chatsworth Receiving Station.
First established in the Whitesbog area in 1918, the Rutgers field station was relocated to Pemberton, N.J., in 1927. Then, in 1962, it moved to its permanent location in Chatsworth. With acres of experimental cranberry bogs and research fields, the Marucci Center supports local growers. In addition to being backed by federal funding, the center has received more than $4.1 million from the New Jersey Blueberry and Cranberry Research Council since 2012, including support for the establishment of a weed science program. Scientists aim to ensure the continued production and availability of high-quality blueberries and cranberries, minimize the use of pesticides, study the health benefits of cranberries and blueberries and investigate causes and controls of diseases that impact growers.
"So, the blueberry and cranberry industries for New Jersey are centered around us, and when they're producing the crops, they run into weed problems, insect problems and disease problems," said Oudemans, the director of the center. "We're equipped to answer and solve problems that they're having. From the breeding perspective, we develop new varieties, test new varieties that are adapted to this area and then we deliver them to the grower."
Referring to the university's roots, he added, "It's really that land-grant mission of taking a scientific approach and extending it to solve real-world problems and help boost the economy of New Jersey farmers."
The field trip began with a visit to the lab, where they met with James Polashock, a research plant pathologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who discussed matters such as detecting cranberry false blossom disease as well as phenotyping - the process of measuring, observing and analyzing an organism's observable characteristics or traits.
Researchers are looking for important traits, "whether visible or not visible that we're interested in," said Polashock, adding scientists at the center use a hyperspectral sensor that can reveal what is chemically beneath the surface of berries rather than simply showing basic color and shape.
"So simple things like differences in fruit size are phenotyping," he said. "But you can also have differences in chemical composition, for example. If you measure those, that's also phenotyping."
Later, the class met with Sage Gleason, a seasonal intern who provided a diagnostic demonstration on how to detect fairy ring, a fungal disease affecting cultivated cranberry crops. After that, students headed to a greenhouse for a cultivar tour with John Hill Price, a research geneticist and blueberry breeder with the USDA.
He told the students that cultivating blueberry varieties is challenging and "good enough," not perfection, is the goal.
"The blueberry is a humbling plant," Price told students.
He also said creating a successful, selectively bred blueberry variety is "more like a Jackson Pollock than a da Vinci."
Then it was time to head to the center's cranberry bogs, where the undergraduates picked berries and watched center staffers demonstrate how they collect them using vacuum-and-container devices strapped to their backs.
The students took their cranberry samples indoors to Jeffery Neyhart, a research geneticist with the USDA who demonstrated how researchers use the "Berry Box" - a self-contained computer-vision system that employs artificial intelligence to measure fruit color, size and uniformity as well as quantify the percent of rotten berries versus the fresh ones.
The research and technological efforts that go into cranberry breeding surprised Ishika Bhagat, a senior majoring in cell biology and neuroscience and minoring in psychology.
"There are so many different steps ... to having the best cranberry for consumers, especially the color," said Bhagat, 21, of Piscataway, N.J. "It kind of relates back to the psychology minor. Some people prefer different colors - and that would also affect how they perceive the taste of it."
Kanishk Sharma, a sophomore studying computer science, data science and economics, said he enrolled in the class to gain additional knowledge.
"Agriculture is a completely different sector," said Sharma, 18, an Arizona resident who was born in India and moved to the U.S. when he was 8. "And just look at the applications of computer technology and agriculture. I think it's very interesting in how they use those technologies."
Eva Chen, a sophomore studying civil engineering, said she took the course after seeing a class description of it online.
"It's just really different from other classes I've taken in the past," said the 19-year-old of Florence, N.J. "We actually go places ... and get to see the difference that the research does and the outcomes and everything."
Oudemans said it is crucial for the students to witness such research firsthand - and get their hands a little dirty.
"I think with kids these days, they're focused on their phones," he said. "They're focused on what's on the internet. Putting their feet in the field is really important because it gives them the experience of what's beyond their limited exposure. And New Jersey has so much to offer.
"I think people should always look locally: Be local tourists and find out what's going on in their own county and beyond. That's what this class is about."
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Original text here: https://www.rutgers.edu/news/chatsworth-nj-scientists-farm-berry-best-varieties
Kansas State University: Audrey Matheny is Researching Whether Existing West Nile Vaccines Could Offer U.S. Swine a New Line of Defense Against Japanese Encephalitis Virus
MANHATTAN, Kansas, Nov. 5 -- Kansas State University issued the following news:
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Teaching old vaccines new tricks
Audrey Matheny is researching whether existing West Nile vaccines could offer U.S. swine a new line of defense against Japanese encephalitis virus
By Audrey Matheny, Graduate School
Nov. 4, 2026
Producing around $30 billion in value each year, the U.S. pork industry is a significant agricultural sector, making its stability crucial.
Maintaining a stable industry requires strong herd health measures -- such as surveillance, and vaccination -- to prevent and detect outbreaks
... Show Full Article
MANHATTAN, Kansas, Nov. 5 -- Kansas State University issued the following news:
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Teaching old vaccines new tricks
Audrey Matheny is researching whether existing West Nile vaccines could offer U.S. swine a new line of defense against Japanese encephalitis virus
By Audrey Matheny, Graduate School
Nov. 4, 2026
Producing around $30 billion in value each year, the U.S. pork industry is a significant agricultural sector, making its stability crucial.
Maintaining a stable industry requires strong herd health measures -- such as surveillance, and vaccination -- to prevent and detect outbreaksof animal diseases.
Understanding the threat of Japanese encephalitis virus
Japanese encephalitis virus, or JEV, is the leading cause of viral brain infections in Asia among adults and children. The virus is mainly transmitted among mosquitoes, pigs and wading birds.
Pigs are key hosts of JEV because they are usually kept in large numbers and are able to transmit the virus back to mosquitoes. JEV infects people through the bite of an infected mosquito, causing flu-like illness in some cases and severe disease or death in others.
JEV infection in pigs is usually mild, but it can cause reproductive issues that affect pork production. This effect was seen in a recent JEV outbreak in Australia's commercial pork farms that led to significant economic losses in addition to several human deaths.
JEV is not currently in the U.S. but the outbreak in Australia shows the virus is able to pop up in new locations, highlighting the risk of JEV showing up in the U.S.
Exploring an alternative vaccine
To date there are no specific treatments for JEV; therefore, the main defense for humans and animals is vaccination.
Although a human JEV vaccine is available, one critical issue is the lack of JEV specific vaccines to protect pigs or other animals. There are, however, veterinary vaccines for the closely related virus, West Nile virus.
My dissertation research focuses on addressing the current lack of veterinary JEV vaccines by attempting to use these already existing West Nile vaccines to cross protect pigs against JEV.
I first selected three West Nile vaccines and administered them to multiple groups of pigs. I collected blood from the pigs and mixed the blood with the virus to see if antibodies in the blood could kill the virus.
Encouragingly, blood from all vaccinated pigs contained antibodies that could kill the virus. I then selected the vaccine that produced the highest antibody levels for a viral challenge study. I vaccinated additional groups of pigs, then challenged them with JEV.
After challenge, I monitored them for signs of disease and collected blood to look for the virus. The vaccinated pigs showed no or reduced signs of disease and most significantly had no detectable live JEV in their blood at any time during the study.
Potential to protect U.S. swine
My results show these West Nile vaccines may be able to stop infected pigs from transmitting JEV to mosquitoes, eliminating one branch of the JEV transmission cycle, and can protect them from serious disease, limiting economic losses from JEV infection in commercial farms.
These vaccines could be an important tool to prevent disease and lower the likelihood of JEV becoming established if it's introduced into the U.S.
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Audrey Matheny is a doctoral candidate of pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research is supervised by Dana Vanlandingham. All research with live Japanese encephalitis virus was conducted in high-containment laboratories at the Biosecurity Research Institute following all applicable local, state and federal regulations. This story was adapted from Matheny's Three-Minute Thesis presentation "Evaluation of cross-protective immunity of West Nile vaccines against Japanese encephalitis virus in swine."
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Original text here: https://www.k-state.edu/news/articles/2026/11/audrey-matheny-japanese-encephalitis-virus-vaccine.html
Coppin State University: Eagles Soar to the Polls, Make Their Voices Heard
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Nov. 5 -- Coppin State University issued the following news:
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Nov 4 2026
Eagles Soar to the Polls, Make Their Voices Heard
Students, faculty and staff unite for early voting and Election Day initiatives, reinforcing Coppin State's commitment to civic participation.
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BALTIMORE -- Coppin State University students, faculty and staff came together for "Soar to the Polls," a campus initiative encouraging civic engagement and voter participation during the 2026 midterm elections.
For Latakia Maldonado, a first-year pre-nursing student from Capitol Heights, Maryland,
... Show Full Article
BALTIMORE, Maryland, Nov. 5 -- Coppin State University issued the following news:
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Nov 4 2026
Eagles Soar to the Polls, Make Their Voices Heard
Students, faculty and staff unite for early voting and Election Day initiatives, reinforcing Coppin State's commitment to civic participation.
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BALTIMORE -- Coppin State University students, faculty and staff came together for "Soar to the Polls," a campus initiative encouraging civic engagement and voter participation during the 2026 midterm elections.
For Latakia Maldonado, a first-year pre-nursing student from Capitol Heights, Maryland,participating in the initiative on Nov. 3 marked an important milestone: casting her first ballot.
"Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves! Your vote matters, your future matters," Maldonado said. She described voting for the first time as refreshing, knowing her participation could help shape the nation's future.
The initiative brought the Coppin community together for two walks to encourage voting. On Oct. 27, students, faculty and staff walked to the Baltimore City Community College South Pavilion on Liberty Heights Avenue for early voting. The initiative continued on Election Day, Nov. 3, when participants gathered at the Fanny Jackson Coppin Statue before walking to Robert W. Coleman Elementary School.
Before the Election Day walk, Coppin State President Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D., encouraged students to recognize their influence in shaping society and the importance of making informed decisions.
"You are that change agent. You are that X factor. Don't ever think your vote doesn't count, because it does," Jenkins said.
Jenkins also reflected on the generations who fought to secure voting rights, urging students to remain informed and engaged beyond Election Day.
"Soar to the Polls is an opportunity for our campus community to come together and put civic engagement into action," said Loretta Campbell, director of student experience and organizer of the initiative, in remarks shared ahead of the events.
The initiative reflected the longstanding legacy of historically Black colleges and universities in advancing civic engagement and preparing generations of leaders committed to strengthening their communities.
For Coppin State, Soar to the Polls was more than an Election Day activity. It was a reminder that every voice has value, civic participation is a shared responsibility, and the next generation of leaders is already making its presence felt.
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Original text here: https://www.coppin.edu/news/eagles-soar-polls-make-their-voices-heard
CSU Campuses Create Space for Learning, Support and Remembrance
LONG BEACH, California, Nov. 5 -- California State University issued the following news:
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CSU Campuses Create Space for Learning, Support and Remembrance
By Janice Yun
11/4/2026
From healthy relationship fairs to candlelight vigils, campuses observed Domestic Violence Awareness Month through education, advocacy and reflection.
In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, various campuses across the California State University organized events to raise awareness and provide resources to their campus communities.
According to RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual
... Show Full Article
LONG BEACH, California, Nov. 5 -- California State University issued the following news:
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CSU Campuses Create Space for Learning, Support and Remembrance
By Janice Yun
11/4/2026
From healthy relationship fairs to candlelight vigils, campuses observed Domestic Violence Awareness Month through education, advocacy and reflection.
In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, various campuses across the California State University organized events to raise awareness and provide resources to their campus communities.
According to RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexualviolence organization and operator of the National Sexual Assault Hotline, 10% of students in partnered relationships experience intimate partner violence while in college.
That statistic underscores the importance of ensuring students know how to recognize domestic violence, support survivors and access help. Committed to the safety and well-being of CSU students, staff and faculty, university offices including Title IX and Discrimination, Survivor Advocacy Services, Counseling and Psychological Services and student organizations held these events and programs to inform the public about what domestic violence looks like, equip them with educational tools and provide support for those in need.
Read about some of the interactive events held across the CSU in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Connecting Campus Communities with Resources
On October 15, Sacramento State's Office of Equal Opportunity held its annual Love Fest, A Healthy Relationships Fair. In partnership with more than two dozen community organizations, campus groups and departments, the fair featured interactive activities designed to inform students about domestic violence, help them recognize relationship red flags and identify healthy relationship habits.
Participants were encouraged to visit each activity table using a stamp card and received a free meal voucher after collecting 10 stamps. Held during Sacramento State's Homecoming Week, the event drew more than 300 attendees.
CSU Bakersfield's Office of Civil Rights & Compliance kicked off the week with a resource fair that featured booths from on campus and community partners as well as a "Bloom Bar," in which attendees could create their own flower arrangements using flowers sourced from the local flower district.
At Cal State San Bernardino, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, Survivor Advocacy Services and community partner Partners Against Violence kicked off Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a tabling event where students and community members could find on-and off-campus resources, and also participate in the Clothesline Project, in which they wrote messages of support for survivors on t-shirts that were displayed on campus throughout the remainder of the month. The event also extended to CSUSB's Palm Desert campus.
Building Awareness Through Education and Self-care
Other campuses hosted workshops that combined domestic violence education with opportunities for reflection and self-care.
At San Francisco State, the SAFE Place held a series of community events including a book club and gentle yoga class. The office also offered educational trainings, including a consent and boundaries workshop that addressed consent myths and facts and provided tips for establishing personal boundaries.
In partnership with the Office of Title IX & Civil Rights, the SAFE Place also held a stalking awareness workshop. Participants learned how to recognize stalking behavior and develop safety plans.
At Cal State Channel Islands, case management and education specialist Loren Patton facilitated a workshop titled "Situationships and Breakups: No Labels, Clear Boundaries," aimed at helping students navigate different types of relationships with clear communication and respect for boundaries and consent. The workshop also included fictional scenarios where student practiced responding to situations and learned how to utilize Title IX & Inclusion resources.
Cal State LA's Student Health Center provided preventative education through a workshop titled "How to Help a Friend in an Unhealthy Relationship." The workshop focused on recognizing unhealthy relationship patterns and learning how to support friends and loved ones. Similarly, Stanislaus State's Counseling and Psychological Services held a "Breaking the Silence" presentation, which taught participants how recognize the warning signs of domestic violence, support those affected, and understand current laws and available resources.
CSUB also focused on providing resources to Greek life members, hosting an event where students learned how to foster a positive and safe Greek life experience. The event featured a panel with representatives from Title IX, University Police, the Counseling Center and Victim's Advocate, who discussed a scenario devleloped from questions submitted by Greek life members in advance.
Honoring lives lost and supporting survivors
Along with educational programs, many campuses organized spaces to reflect and honor those who have been harmed due to domestic violence.
On October 22, Chico State's Gender and Sexuality Coalition and WellCat Safe Place partnered with domestic and sexual violence organization Catalyst to hold the annual "Flowers on the Creek" vigil.
Held annually since 2018, the vigil brings together community members to remember individuals in Northern California who have lost their lives to domestic violence. Attendees left flower petals in their honor.
Cal State San Marcos' Survivor Advocacy Services also held a candlelight vigil on October 27, which included a keynote speaker, survivor testimonies and poetry readings.
These events reflect the CSU's continued commitment to civil rights, and to fostering an inclusive and equitable community that values diversity and fosters mutual respect across all 22 universities.
Learn how the CSU is driving lasting change in Civil Rights and Title IX. (https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/administration/systemwide-human-resources/civil-rights/Pages/commitment-to-transparency-accountability-and-progress.aspx?utm_campaign=homepage&_gl=1%2a94dupv%2a_gcl_au%2aMTcxOTk3MDcwNi4xNzkxNDA2NzYzLjg4MjU5NDE4MS4xNzkzMzk3NTg2LjE3OTMzOTc1ODUuMTE3MTM0NDgxNi4xNzkzMzk3NTg2LjE3OTMzOTc1ODU.%2a_ga%2aNjA0MzAzNzc3LjE3ODM2MTg2MDY.%2a_ga_DBKR4CFG3E%2aczE3OTMzOTczNjYkbzI2NyRnMSR0MTc5MzM5NzY3MSRqNTIkbDAkaDA.)
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Original text here: https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/CSU-Campuses-Create-Space-for-Learning-Support-and-Remembrance.aspx
