History of UC Merced CARE
In Spring 2009, Chief of Police Rita Spaur initiated the development of the Violence Prevention Program by collaborating with UC Merced’s Student Affairs to solicit funding from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). A year later, in the spring of 2010, UC Merced hired their first Violence Prevention Program Coordinator, who founded UCM’s first prevention education and advocacy program on sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, and stalking prevention.
In 2014, UC President Napolitano charged the Task Force on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment with establishing recommendations to improve the climate within the University of California. As a result of these recommendations, in 2015, the Violence Prevention Program was renamed the Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE) office, and reporting obligations moved from the Police Department to the Office of the Chancellor and Student Affairs.
Today, CARE is situated within the Health and Wellness unit of Student Affairs and has a robust prevention education program hosting campus-wide initiatives for students, staff, and faculty. Additionally, CARE offers intervention services on campus for individuals impacted by sexual violence through a collaborative partnership with Valley Crisis Center. To learn more about CARE or if you know someone in need of services, please visit the office located in the Kolligian Library (KL) 107.
