The Safe and Empowerment Board is hosting a Rally Against Sexual Assault in the Ballroom at the Harre Union on Monday, February 22nd from 7:30 - 9:30. Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek will be the featured speaker and she will talk about 10-15 minutes and afterward be available to students one on one. There will be other activities going on at that time as well and the different organizations represented by the Safe and Empowerment Board will be speaking briefly. There will also be 2-3 bands performing. 
What is a Safe/Empowerment House?
The Safe and Empowerment Houses are one answer to reducing sexual assault on VU’s campus. Each participating Greek organization makes a commitment to keeping students and visitors safe from sexual assault.
Safe Houses are participating fraternities that ensure a student or visitor’s safety. Empowerment Houses are participating sororities that promote “empowerment” for their sisters and other students.
In the event of a sexual assault, these chapters are trained on assisting the persons involved and reporting incidents to VUPD and the SAAFE office.
The Safe/Empowerment House develops a list of goals and outcomes specific to their respective chapter beliefs and values. To ensure the goals are being met, each organization will conduct an internal audit each semester. At the end of the academic year, the SAAFE Office Coordinator will certify the audits.
Why are the Safe and Empowerment Houses Important to students?
- Enhance awareness of safety
- Encourage positive social activities
- Discourage activities that increase the risk of sexual assault
- Follow safety protocol as prescribed by the Audit Committee
- Monitor social events to ensure safety for all
For more information on Safe and Empowerment Houses, click here.