RBC Gets $300K Grant

Inside Research & Innovation

Richard Bland College is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $300,000 Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) grant to reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (DVSAS) on campus. OVW received 83 applications requesting over $26 million. RBC is one of only 36 projects selected for funding. The college will create RESPECT, a comprehensive program to strengthen prevention education, bystander intervention training, and victim services with a collaborative effort of campus personnel, off-campus partners, and off-campus consultant resources, a Coordinated Community Response Team (CCR). 

The grant was written and brokered by Kimberly Boyd, Ph.D. — Vice-President and Chief Research & Innovation Officer at RBC. Her office is RBC’s hub for research grants at the college. “We hold a commitment at RBC to making the world a better place for others,” says Dr. Boyd. “This grant represents ideals fundamental to our mission.” 

Dr. Debbie L. Sydow, President of RBC adds, “The goal of RESPECT is to reduce or eliminate DVSAS incidents and to offer trauma-informed services to victims with support for long-term healing. The intended outcome is that students will continue to build safe, diverse and welcoming environments throughout their lifetime.” 

The project will work with surrounding RBC communities to engage committed partners to ensure that RESPECT is empowered to accomplish the following objectives: 

They include the creation of a Coordinated Community Response Team to accomplish all mandated tasks including: prevention education, bystander intervention, training for campus, community and victim services. 

It also includes providing prevention education for the entire campus, such as mandatory prevention education for all incoming students about DVSAS. Prevention education for all students will incorporate awareness, cultural sensitivity, bystander interventions, information about resources, campus policies and procedures. 

The initiative will continue to work closely with Dr. Evanda Watts-Martinez – Director of Counseling Services, Thomas Travis – Director of Campus Safety & Chief of Police and Stacy Sokol – Director of Continuing Education at RBC. They will compose the RBC team, serving as the coordinated internal response unit.