ANU-Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, ANUSA to partner on new counselling services

The Australian National University (ANU) and its students are joining forces with the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre to improve access to on-campus counselling services for survivors of sexual assaults and harassment. Under the new arrangements, counsellors from the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre will be based at ANU in a full-time equivalent position to help educate the community on respectful relationships and to help survivors of sexual assaults and harassment. Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the new agreement would supplement existing counselling services at ANU, and would build on the long-standing links between the University and the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre dating back to 2005. "This an exciting new initiative and reaffirms the University's strong commitment to do everything we can to stop all forms of sexual assault and harassment, and to support survivors," Professor Schmidt said. "The new agreement will see both female and male counsellors from the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on campus, building on our long-running ties with the Centre in working to educate our community on respectful relationships and the need to ensure our campus is safe for all students, staff and visitors. "I'd like to acknowledge the strong leadership of the ANU student community working with the University to develop this new initiative and for their strong support to make it happen." Under the agreement with the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, the counselling position will be jointly funded by the ANU and the ANU Students Association (ANUSA), with support from the Post-Graduate and Research Students Association (PARSA).