Stand-to! update Beginning May 2022, STAND-TO! will no longer be published on Army.mil and/or distributed to its subscribers. Please continue to learn about the U.S. Army on www.army.mil and follow @USArmy on our social media platforms. Thank you for your continued interest in learning about the U.S. Army.

SHARP Partnership with Academia

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Provided by Army G-1

What is it?

The Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program Office, the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) and the Army SHARP Academy are collaborating with academia and related nonprofit and advocacy organizations to share lessons learned, explore new ideas, and identify best practices for addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention and response.

What has the Army done?

The Army has engaged with colleges and universities on sexual violence because they have populations that face similar risks for sexual assault. By sharing lessons learned and best practices, each can benefit from the experiences of the other. The outreach efforts have included:

  • TRADOC partnering with 248 colleges/universities on sexual harassment/assault prevention and response. These efforts have included ROTC leaders serving on Title IX and Sexual Assault prevention/response committees and cadets serving as peer mentors and bystander intervention trainers.
  • The SHARP Academy building relationships with more than 30 colleges and universities through visits for updates on the Army’s efforts and participation in quarterly SHARP Academy sponsored professional forums.
  • The Army SHARP Program director’s presentation at the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education 2016 NASPA Symposium on Military-Connected Students.
  • The USMA superintendents’ article: “Lessons to Share – How Federal Service Academies Prevent and Punish Sexual Assault” (May 7, 2015).

What continued efforts are planned for the future?

The Army will continue to collaborate with academia to exchange insights, lessons learned, best practices, and new ideas. Events such as the USMA SHARP Summit, scheduled for September 28 to 30, will include participation by all military service academies, senior military academies and several New York colleges.

The Army will continue to collaborate with external organizations and individuals in analyzing trends to prepare for the future.

Why is this important to the Army?

Reducing sexual assault incidents, as well as building cohesive teams where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, helps to enhance the readiness in the Army. Partnering and collaboration provide an invaluable means for enhancing Army efforts to promote climates of dignity and respect so that sexual misconduct is rare, and those who report it are safe from retaliation.

Resources:

Related STAND-TO!:

Subscribe to STAND-TO! to learn about the U.S. Army initiatives.