Safety On Campus
Programs for U-M Students, Faculty and Staff: What follows is a summary of women's safety organizations on campus, and the programs they offer.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) coordinates efforts on campus to provide for the safety of U-M students, faculty and staff. SAPAC's cornerstone program is peer educator workshops. These are offered on a variety of topics, i.e. date rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and assault prevention strategies. The workshops are presented in residence halls, fraternities, sororities, and for campus groups that request them.
SAPAC also distributes free keychain whistles, handouts on their services, and information sheets on topics such as "tips for walking alone at night." For more information visit SAPAC at 580 Union Dr., Rm L-107 (in West Quad) or call 763-5865.
Safewalk and Northwalk provide a pair of walkers (both women or co-ed) for people walking alone at night. Safewalk walkers will accompany an individual anywhere within a 20-minute radius of the Undergraduate Library. Hours are: Sun.Thurs. 8 pm-2:30 am, and Fri. & Sat 8 pm-11 pm. Northwalk provides a similar service, housed in Bursley Hall. Its hours are: Sun.-Thurs. 8 pm-1:30 am, and Fri. & Sat 8 pm-11 pm. To arrange for walkers to meet you, call Safewalk at 936-1000 or Northwalk at 763-9255.
The Department of Public Safety provides rides home at night to students, staff and faculty who feel at risk. For a ride, call 763-1131. In addition, there is Night Owl, a free bus service that operates all over campus from 7 pm-2 am, seven days a week. Those needing a ride between 2-7 am can call Ride Home, a free taxi service. Call the Undergraduate Library circulation desk at 764-7490 or the North Campus Commons at 764-7544 for this service.
OFF CAMPUS
Services for other AnnArbor/Ypsilanti residents: Although the prospect of a serial rapist is frightening, statistics show that the majority of rapes are committed by an acquaintance of the victim. Therefore, area agencies opposing violence against women focus much of their energies on domestic violence and date rape.
Assault Crisis Center provides services for rape survivors, including individual and group counseling, court accompaniment, and police accompaniment. They also provide counseling for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. For crisis intervention, call the 24-hour hotline at 483-RAPE.
Domestic Violence Project (DVP)/SAFE House holds support groups for women who are survivors of domestic violence. They also distribute a survivor's handbook free to battered women. This fall they will be holding programs on dating violence and other topics. DVP also distributes free whistles. For their 24-hour hotline, call 995-5444.
Other groups providing services for those who have been assaulted include: SOS Community Crisis Center at 485-8730 and Rape Crisis Center at 994-1616.