University President Fr. John Jenkins signed the “It’s On Us” pledge Thursday, joined by student body vice president Becca Blais and University policy liaison Grace Watkins in a ceremony in his office.
“It’s On Us” is a sexual assault awareness campaign launched by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in 2014 to help end sexual assault on college campuses.
“We’re all responsible for creating an environment where all are safe and the dignity of each person is respected,” Jenkins said in the release. “Sexual assault has no place at Notre Dame, and it will only be eliminated if we each do our part individually and work together collectively.”
The pledge calls on campus community members — students, faculty, staff and administrators — to commit to keeping men and women safe from sexual assault. This commitment is fulfilled by recognizing what sexual assault is, identifying situations in which sexual assault may occur, intervening in situations where consent has not been given and fostering an environment that does not accept or tolerate sexual assault.
