In three short years, LMU CARES has grown from a campaign promoting awareness of sexual and interpersonal misconduct into a fully-staffed office with training programs that reach across the Loyola Marymount University campus.
Marked by its signature turquoise ribbon, LMU CARES (Campus Awareness Resource Education Services) was founded in April 2014 to provide support and resources to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students.
Under the direction of Briana Maturi, LMU CARES actively works to prevent sexual and interpersonal misconduct, both on and off campus. By partnering with many different organizations on campus, LMU CARES seeks to educates all LMU community members on its motto: Live the Lion’s Code.
According to Maturi, special assistant to the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, the Lion’s Code aims to foster a campus community grounded in mutual respect, integrity and support. To help accomplish this, all students are required to complete the LMU CARES Code Certified program during their time at LMU.
By completing the program, LMU CARES informs students on details regarding the university’s policies on misconduct, the steps to maintain healthy relationships, importance of consent and ways to take action against misconduct.
In 2015-16, LMU CARES trained 5,956 student across 164 themed education sessions, according to Maturi. Maturi and her staff also trained 213 faculty members on topics such as how to handle sexual and interpersonal misconduct cases, implicit bias, facilitator training and more.
Expanding its educational reach, LMU CARES opened its own office in Malone Student Center in August 2016. The office also launched LMU CARES 2.0, which added more training courses to its curriculum, including LMU Pregame, Step Up & Step In and Courageous Conversations.
These programs focus on other important topics such as alcohol, personal accountability, bystander intervention and intercultural dialogue. The goal, says Maturi, is to make each student aware and sensitive to issues that are relevant to both the campus on community and the world beyond the bluff.
Kiera Jacob, senior administrative coordinator for LMU CARES, says she likes to reminds the community that their services do not simply end with a few required courses. LMU CARES also collaborates with departments and programs such as Student Psychological Services to Laser Squad Bravo Improv.
“We have partnered with many different organizations to educate our community on sexual misconduct and prevention,” says Jacob, who graduated from LMU in 2015. “Our role is not just to educate, but to support people who also want to make a culture change. If any student or faculty has an event idea, we are here to help them with the programming.”
For Chandler Wright, a senior communications major, being a part of the LMU CARES team has been a critical part of her LMU experience.
“Being the office manager of LMU CARES is much more than managing a student staff or answering phones at the front desk,” Wright says. “It is really amazing to know that the work we do in our office is now being implemented as required education for all incoming students.
“I think that as a Jesuit university, it is important that we are addressing these very pertinent issues with our students while in order to embody the Ignatian value of education of the whole person.”
In April, LMU will again take part in Sexual Assault Awareness Month. LMU CARES is set to host a number of events across campus to raise awareness and encourage students to speak out against the injustice of sexual assault.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month serves as a great opportunity for students to engage with LMU CARES, according to Jacob.
“Students who want to get involved, on any level, should let us know,” Jacob says. “Our culture only shifts when community members take action. We are here to empower them to do that.”
To learn more about LMU CARES, visit the office in Malone Student Center 403 or attend a program or event.