SUNY expanded their Sexual Assault and Violence Response (SAVR) resources by translating the Affirmative Consent, Amnesty and Bill of Rights provisions of Enough is Enough legislation into more than 100 languages alongside recently added web-based tools.
“We developed SAVR with SUNY students in mind, but the information is relevant to all New Yorkers, in particular in how it provides local and state-wide resources,” Joseph Storch, SUNY associate counsel and SAVR project coordinator said in a statement. “At the same time, with the additional translation work, both our international students, their families back home, and people traveling to the U.S., have access to this critical information.”
This is an addition to web-based tools that were launched in September for students to look up resources pertaining to their zip code to reach victims on and off campus as well as statewide. This site, which can be found on the SUNY website, also features an “Exit Now” button that instantly clears the search history and redirects viewers to the Google homepage to protect the victim’s privacy.
When it was originally released in September, the “SAVR for Immigrant” feature, which provides resources specific to international students, only included 20 languages. Now the site gives resources in over 100 languages, including Bosnian and Serbian.
Services to Aid Families (SAF) advocate Kelsey Gillett, who works closely with the Oswego State Title IX office, admits as someone who is trilingual and has studied abroad in four different countries, this resource is a huge benefit.
“Navigating the system and understanding options is hard for victims to do in their native language,” Gillett said. “To have to work through translating a second or third language is just one more barrier that SUNY has dismantled.”
SUNY worked with immigration law experts from throughout the country to develop a resource specific to immigrant and international student victims and survivors of violence. The Visa and Immigration resource uses simple language to provide additional information to non-citizen students including specific visa statuses for victims of violence and trafficking and where to find immigration attorneys.
According to Gillett, this allows students to send translated resources to their support system back home. SUNY educates students from over 160 nations through their foreign exchange program.
“This shows that SUNY acknowledges that every student has the right to access the support they need,” Gillett said.
Gillet describes the online resource as “transparent and thorough.” It explains which resources are confidential, available 24/7, provides medical care, offers legal services and more.
According to Title IX coordinator Lisa Evaneski, Oswego State is advertising the resource on the website and social media more and encouraging victims and survivors to access the site.
“We are working with SUNY to assist with a marketing campaign so we can get it out there so people will see it,” Evaneski said.
Evaneski said this will widen the scope of people that will take advantage of this new resource.
“By having the information translated into so many languages, it will provide greater access to our students, employees and visitors if they are searching for resources as well as reporting options,” Evaneski said. “We encourage people to go to that page regardless of where they are in New York.”
