Sexual violence prevention work elevated through strategic plan and new office
The Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office brings together and strengthens resources for those engaged in this critical work.
A new strategy to expand Virginia Tech’s commitment to sexual violence education and prevention begins this fall, supported by a new office, new director, and a new strategic plan.
The Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education will lead the way in drawing together experts from across Virginia Tech to collaborate on programming and strategies that advance cultural transformation around sexual and interpersonal safety and wellness.
Strategies for cultural change
The creation of the office comes out of the work of the Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative (SVPI), which began in fall 2023 as part of an initiative by President Tim Sands to prioritize sexual violence prevention as a shared responsibility of the entire Virginia Tech community.
The initiative's steering committee, made up of staff and faculty whose work involves the safety and well-being of the university community, examined the current state of sexual violence and prevention needs on campus and assessed the resources needed to grow the impact of sexual violence prevention education already available.
The committee reviewed trends and gaps in information noted by offices and organizations handling response, advocacy, and adjudication, including the Title IX Office, Virginia Tech Police Department, and the Women Center’s CARES Program for Survivors. Its members also sought insight from faculty about public health trends that affect the physical and social health of modern college students, such as alcohol and digital pornography. Attendees of the SVPI Summit in April had an opportunity to learn about, reflect on, and discuss these findings.
The assessment identified four strategic priorities to inform sexual violence prevention work moving forward:
- The creation of an organizational framework supporting sexual violence prevention that can evolve and involves the campus community
- Unified and measurable goals for sexual violence prevention work, collectively agreed upon by the university community
- A comprehensive communications plan that connects students and employees with information, support, and programs
- Improved information collection and sharing to inform education strategies, as well as conduct a thorough gap analysis to identify further needs of the university community
The committee’s work was reviewed and shaped every step of the way by students, including SVPI’s undergraduate and graduate student advisory groups.
The work has culminated in the creation of the SVPI Strategic Plan. The document outlines a path forward to strengthen Virginia Tech’s sexual violence prevention education for the near- and long-term.
In addition to the four strategic priorities, the SVPI Strategic Plan includes
- Necessary factors to ensure the success of prevention work, including trauma-informed and intersectional approaches, as well as peer-led learning
- An outline of challenges and opportunities for the new office to address
- A thorough history of Virginia Tech’s past sexual violence prevention efforts
The new strategic plan will inform the work of the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education, a newly established department in the Office for Equity and Accessibility.
A new office
In discussions with campus partners, the steering committee learned of the challenges faced by current sexual violence prevention programming, including a lack of resources, the need for a shared language, and a lack of established and consistent communication pathways with others involved in the work on campus.
The Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education (SVPE) was formed to address these challenges and provide a sexual violence prevention program that aligns with emerging best practices. The new hub will bring those working on sexual violence prevention under one shared identity, with shared resources, data, and strategies. The collaboration fostered by this new office is expected to reduce duplication of effort and improve the reach and impact of programming.
“We knew coming into the work last year that our distributed model for sexual violence prevention was not sustainable or scalable,” said Kelly Oaks, associate vice president for equity and accessibility and the Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative's program leader. “It became clear that establishing a dedicated office provided a unique chance to transform the work. We are excited for the opportunity to create a unified message for sexual violence prevention that is grounded in evidence-based best practices, inclusively collaborative, and supported by clear, consistent communication.”
The office will include a full team, bringing in a related position from Hokie Wellness in addition to hiring an additional assistant director position and a specialist position. The work will be further supported by a graduate assistant and a unified student peer education group.
The office will be led by Director of Sexual Violence Prevention Jennifer Wiggins.
A new director
Wiggins is a licensed professional counselor who brings over 10 years of experience in sexual and gender-based violence response and prevention, public health, and advocacy work to her new role at Virginia Tech.
As inaugural director, she will be responsible for developing and executing a universitywide strategy, informed by SVPI’s strategic plan, that will support a comprehensive sexual and gender-based violence prevention program.
Previously, Wiggins was the associate dean of students and inaugural director for gender violence prevention at Duke University and has held similar roles at Georgetown University and the National Institutes of Health. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish from Cabrini University and a master's degree in mental health counseling from Arcadia University.
She has presented at conferences on mental and sexual health, particularly in student populations, and has a proven track record of developing workshops and outreach materials on the topic of sexual violence prevention.
“I am honored to accept the position of inaugural director for SVPE and am excited to be joining Hokie Nation,” said Wiggins. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the community to foster a safer, more inclusive environment, and to lead initiatives that will effectively address and prevent gender-based violence on our campus.”
Wiggins begins her role on Sept. 16.
