Indiana University of Pennsylvania has received $40,000 through Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s It’s On Us PA initiative to continue the university’s work to combat campus sexual assault.
IUP will use this year’s grant funds for implementation of a comprehensive, campus-wide initiative to address sexual violence with a specific and intentional focus on technology-facilitated abuse.
This is the eighth year IUP has been selected for It’s On Us funding. It’s On Us PA, established in 2016, is the nation’s first statewide campaign to combat campus sexual assault and violence. With this latest grant, IUP has received It’s On Us PA funding totaling $270,000.
“We continue to appreciate the ongoing support from Governor Shapiro to help us to address the issue of campus sexual assault and violence,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “It’s especially timely as we continue our focus on healthy students, healthy university, and healthy communities through our Impact 150 comprehensive campaign,” Driscoll said.
“This initiative will provide support to IUP students and create more awareness about this important issue,” he said. “I applaud the IUP team, led by Dr. Jessica Miller, director of IUP’s Haven Project and faculty and chair of IUP’s Counseling Center, for the continued success in securing these funds and for their ongoing commitment and hard work to address sexual assault and violence.
“While Dr. Miller and the team will lead the implementation of this project, it is the responsibility of every member of the IUP community to take action to prevent campus sexual violence in all forms and to support our students who are survivors of sexual violence,” President Driscoll said. “Fortunately, we are not alone in this fight, as we have strong and supportive community partners, including the Alice Paul House, that continue to play an important role in our ongoing work to address sexual assault and violence, including helping us to meet the goals of this new project,” he said.
IUP’s Haven Project, part of IUP’s Center for Health and Well-Being, assists students with the issues of sexual violence, domestic and dating violence, and stalking, and offers educational programming on this issue. The Alice Paul House, located in Indiana, provides emergency shelter to victims and their children, individual and group empowerment counseling, victim advocacy, and educational programming focused on prevention and awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault.
“Vulnerable student populations—including LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and first-year students—experience disproportionate risk and face additional barriers to reporting and accessing support, including fear of retaliation, lack of accessible information, and limited awareness of confidential resources,” Miller said. “At the same time, many faculty and staff report uncertainty in how to recognize, respond to, and appropriately support students experiencing digital forms of sexual violence, particularly when harm occurs off campus or online,” she said.
“This program builds on prior It’s On Us PA-funded bystander intervention efforts, while expanding existing prevention and response infrastructure to reflect the evolving digital realities faced by students and to equitably support populations at highest risk,” Miller said.
A cross-campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Task Force will coordinate activities funded through the grant. This task force will meet regularly to oversee implementation, ensure alignment with institutional priorities, and guide sustainability planning beyond the grant period. Senior campus administrators will provide oversight, authorize policy enhancements, and ensure that proposed initiatives are embedded into existing institutional structures, including first-year programming.
“The campus task force will collaborate closely with a well-established community task force led by the IUP Haven Project and the Alice Paul House,” Miller said.
The community task force includes representatives from law enforcement, Mountains Health, and the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office.
“Our community partners are extremely committed and engaged in this important work, and the coordinated structure of this initiative will allow for ongoing monitoring of institutional and community responses to digital and technology-facilitated sexual violence, ensuring timely, survivor-centered coordination of responses, referrals, and resource support for students,” Miller said.
A central component of this year’s project is a full day of in-person training delivered by EndTAB, a nationally recognized organization specializing in technology-facilitated abuse prevention, digital safety, and survivor-centered response.
Grant funds also will support campus-wide awareness campaigns using printed and digital materials, promotional items, and updated survivor resources that clearly communicate reporting options, survivor rights, and available support services. Digital materials will be intentionally designed for reuse across multiple semesters, increasing reach, reducing barriers to access, and supporting long-term sustainability.
“Dr. Miller continues to do an outstanding job in leading the team implementing the important programs funded by It’s On Us and securing this important funding, including identifying the unique challenges faced by our students in terms of sexual assault and violence,” Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator Elise Glenn said. “Understanding and working to prevent technology-facilitated sexual violence and providing comprehensive, survivor-centered education is critically important to the health and wellness of our students and the university community.”
“At IUP, we are dedicated to preventing all types of sexual assault and domestic and dating violence on campus by creating a transparent, supportive environment where all students feel empowered to seek help,” Glenn said. “Additionally, IUP is dedicated to staying up to date with the latest Title IX regulations, ensuring that our campus policies align with current best practices and legal requirements.”
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025–26, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.