Clemson University’s Dean of Students Office, which includes interpersonal violence response and prevention, is bringing the campus community together this October to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Through campus partnerships and student-led initiatives, a variety of workshops and events for students and employees will build knowledge, develop practical skills, promote interpersonal violence prevention and healthy relationships, support survivors and share information about available resources. The programming also emphasizes the shared responsibility of creating a safer, more supportive community.
The month’s events kickoff on Oct. 1 with Interpersonal Violence Response’s Postcard Project tabling event from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in front of Daniel Hall. The project invites members of the Clemson community to write messages of encouragement on postcards to survivors of domestic and dating abuse. The project will then be displayed in the Cooper Library Learning Commons where students, faculty and staff can add their messages. At the end of the month, the collected postcards will be delivered to Safe Harbor, the Upstate’s local confidential 24-hour domestic violence crisis center and shelter, and Pickens County Advocacy Center.
Interpersonal Violence Response is also bringing back its Healing Book Club featuring “Crazy Love” by Leslie Morgan Steiner. The club will explore relationships, resilience and the complexities of healing. Sessions are scheduled for Oct. 8 and Oct. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Cooper Library Learning Commons Room 309.
On Oct. 6 and 20, the Dean of Students Office will offer interactive One Love workshops on the signs of unhealthy relationships, supportive conversations and setting boundaries. The workshops are part of the office’s Interpersonal Violence Prevention Workshop Series, which runs through mid-November. Delta Sigma Theta sorority will also host a One Love Workshop on Oct. 28, with event details to be announced.
The Step Fiercely Forward: Serving Support Volleyball Game will take place on Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. in Jervey Gym. A partnership between the Dean of Students Office and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, this community event brings people together through a shared commitment to ending domestic violence.
The Look Out for Your Boos Fair will be on Oct. 27 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. in Cooper Library Learning Commons. The event will offer a space for participants to engage with prevention messaging, learn about resources and connect with opportunities to promote healthy relationships and safety.
Additional outreach initiatives throughout the month include the It’s On Us Candlelight Vigil, Alpha Chi Omega’s Walk a Mile and other campus and community partnerships. These efforts offer opportunities to participate in awareness activities, honor survivors’ experiences and contribute to a culture of prevention.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is more than a series of events; it is an opportunity to build a community where healthy relationships, mutual respect, accountability and support are valued throughout the year. Whether attending a workshop, participating in an advocacy event, learning about campus resources or starting a conversation with a friend, every community member has an opportunity to contribute to prevention. Together, the Clemson community can promote healthy relationships, strengthen connections to resources and continue working toward a campus culture where everyone deserves safety, respect and support.
The South Carolina Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence (SCIP) awarded Clemson with a $4,000 grant to support interpersonal violence prevention efforts across campus. The grant supports these events, as well as events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April.
For more information about DVAM events, contact Megan Fallon, assistant director for engagement and outreach with the Dean of Students Office, at mrfallo@clemson.edu.
