A message from outgoing Board Chair, Selena Shen,

I first joined the SAFER’s Board of Directors more than three and a half years ago. At the time, the organization was brimming with excitement over the Dear Colleague letter and the prospect of the Campus SaVE Act.

Over time, the national dialogue around campus sexual assault has grown, evolved and become increasingly thoughtful and nuanced. I am so proud that SAFER has been an integral part of this evolution. But even more importantly, I am proud of the students that have elevated the conversation to the national spotlight and underscored the indispensability of the student voice.

Time and time again, student activists have shown sophistication in their message, collaboration in their organizing and resilience in the face of adversity. Now, we are at a watershed moment catalyzed by students on the ground, who are living the realities of campus sexual assault every day.

SAFER was built on the principle that all students have the right to a safe campus. Since the organization’s founding, we have solidified ourselves as the go-to experts on student organizing, campus policy and grassroots activism. As I step down as SAFER’s Board Chair and from its Board of Directors, I am deeply honored and humbled to have had the unique privilege to work alongside the most groundbreaking advocates in the country, and am electrified by the national momentum to create violence-free campuses for all.

Thank you,
Selena Shen

A message from incoming Board Chair, Tracey E. Vitchers

It is with both sadness and excitement that I step into the role of Board Chair for SAFER. Our outgoing Chair, Selena Shen, is a tremendous leader, activist and friend whose guidance and support will continue to drive SAFER forward in the months and years to come. And, it is with much excitement that I will continue to be a part of the SAFER journey in my new role as Board Chair.

When I joined the SAFER Board of Directors in the fall of 2012 as Communications Coordinator I could not have foreseen the wave of national student activism that would build over the next two years, bringing the epidemic of campus sexual assault to forefront of discussions at The White House, Congress, the mainstream media and colleges and universities across the country. It has been humbling to watch as countless survivors have stood up and spoken out about their assaults and against the mistreatment they faced by college administrators in an inspiring effort to demand change.

Since its founding at Columbia University by student activists in 2000, it has been with great privilege that SAFER has played an integral role in supporting the student activists across the country who have lobbied their their institutions and their government for change. I look forward to working with our passionate and dedicated Board of Directors to continue to support student anti-sexual violence activists to create change on campuses across the nation.

I look forward to continuing our journey together.

In solidarity,

Tracey E. Vitchers