If staff or faculty are dealing with past trauma from sexual violence and need support, they can turn to the Employee Assistance Program (http://oregonstate.edu/admin/hr/orient/benefits/cl/eap) offered through the Public Employees’ Benefits Board, or contact the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence, 541-754-0110.

Faculty and staff are in a unique position as they interact with students voicing concerns about the recent attacks, and Giese had a number of suggestions on how to deal with these potentially tricky and delicate conversations.

First, she suggests that faculty and staff become familiar with the Employee Guidance document provided by the Office of Equity and Inclusion, which lays out the roles and responsibilities of faculty and staff who receive information on potential sexual violence or harassment from a student or co-worker.

The guidelines include the acronym SILVER, which lays out the steps of responding to a disclosure of sexual violence or harassment: Safety (find out if there’s immediate risk and get the proper authorities involved); Inform (explain to the survivor about the limits of confidentiality and the resources available); Listen (be an empathic and nonjudgmental listener and limit questions); Validate (feelings and reactions); and Empower (provide options, do not make decisions); and Refer (to resources on campus and in the community).

A link to the full text is available here: http://oregonstate.edu/oei/sites/default/files/sh_sv_response_final06.26.12.pdf

Giese wants faculty and staff to know they can turn to the Office of Equity and Inclusion or the staff coordinator in the Office of Sexual Assault Support Services and CARDV if they have questions about how to respond to a disclosure from a student.

“Education and information are the best forms of prevention of sexual violence,” Giese said. Her office can provide information about methods of sexual violence prevention.

Giese is available to give presentations to classes or to staff, and for students, there is also a group of peer educators who can talk about sexual violence prevention. She is available at 541-737-7880 or carrie.giese@oregonstate.edu.

The following is a list of resources available to faculty, staff and students

• For emergencies, call 911.
• To provide information to law enforcement, call Corvallis Police Department at 541-766-6924, or Oregon State Police/OSU Public Safety at 541-737-3010.
• To arrange for a safe ride, call OSU Saferide’s request line at 541-737-5000.
• The Sexual Assault Support Services program at OSU is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and can be reached at 541-737-7604.
• The Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence, or CARDV, is a Corvallis support facility open 24 hours a day; its phone number is 541-754-0110.
• OSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services department offers support and counseling to OSU students in all areas. It can be reached by calling 541-737-2131.

The Beatles at OSU (contributed photo)

The concerts, which benefit Corvallis’ Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV), feature live performances of a different Beatles album each year. Since the second year, a Pink Floyd album has also been added into the mix, further increasing the appeal and popularity of the performances.

After most of the original Imaginary Friends graduated and/or moved on to other responsibilities last spring, it was rumored that the 2009 concerts would be the last. Fortunately, that’s not the case, and “The Beatles at OSU” is back and again featuring top talent from campus and community.
The concerts are slated for Saturday, April 24 at 7 p.m. in Austin Auditorium at LaSells Stewart Center; and Saturday, May 1 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Milam Hall. Both locations are on the OSU main campus.

The albums selected for this year are The Beatles’ “Let it Be” and Pink Floyd’s “Animals.”

Members of the 2010 Imaginary Friends Musical Alliance are: Bill Cowell, keyboards, sax, sound effects; Justin Gibson, guitars, vocals; Jeff Carey, drums; Noah Stroup, vocals, keyboards; Jason Lusk, bass, vocals; Roland Ashton, vocals, guitar; Brandon Cook, guitar, vocals; R.J. Zaworski, guitar; Tim Karplus, keyboards, guitar; Noah Jenkins, violin; Denver Speelman, violin; Bryce Caster, viola; Lauren Shin, cello; Joe Crop, trumpet; Ryan Erp, trombone; Alia Beyer, vocals; Jeannie Holiday, vocals; and Andrea Witherspoon, vocals.

The performances are being sponsored by the OSU Department of Music, the OSU Department of Animal Sciences, the OSU Women’s Center, and LaSells Stewart Center.

All proceeds will benefit CARDV, a private, non-profit, community service organization dedicated to helping adult and child survivors of sexual and domestic violence and their children stay safe. CARDV has been serving Linn and Benton counties for more than 25 years.
Seating is general admission at both performances. Tickets are $5 each, on sale at the OSU Women’s Center and at Grass Roots Books & Music in downtown Corvallis. A limited number of reserved, “VIP” seats are available at each performance for a minimum donation of $25, while they last. Tickets can also be purchased on line (small additional fee applies) at http://ticketsoregon.com .
For more information: http://beatlesatosu.org