When the Higher Education Center Against Violence and Abuse openedits doors at the University of Minnesota in September 1994, awork program had already been developed that would take it through1994 and 1995. The work program included regional meetings, taskforces, an electronic clearinghouse, pilot projects, conferences,and research.
The Center received strong support from Senator Jane Ranum andher colleagues in the Minnesota Legislature; unfortunately, withthe restructuring of the Minnesota Higher Education CoordinatingBoard (HECB), legislative funding for the Center ended. With carefulbudgeting and with some additional funding from HECB, the Centeris able to continue its work through December 1995. The ExecutiveCommittee met in June to create a strategy and will meet againin October to make some decisions about future work based on thefinancial viability of the Center. We are currently seeking fundingfrom a variety of sources including foundations and the federalgovernment. We are also working with other groups with similarinterests who would like to create partnerships, particularlyin the areas of the electronic clearinghouse and professionaltraining.
In the meantime, our work has continued full force. Our energyand enthusiasm have not waned in the least. The task forces havemet and are finishing their recommendations, use of the clearinghouseis growing daily, a major conference will be held in October,and work is in progress to secure the Center's future. The Centerhas received support from both professionals and educational institutionswho believe that this work is vital in addressing violence preventionand intervention. We are looking forward to a Center with a longfuture.
"Higher Education's Role in Ending Violence" is thetopic of the first annual Higher Education Center Against Violenceand Abuse statewide conference. To be held on October 26, 1995,from 10:00am to 4:30pm, in Saint Cloud Minnesota, the day-longconference will provide an opportunity for higher education institutionsto gather information about what other schools are doing.
The event will include:
The cost of the Conference is $25.00. We are hoping that collegeswill send teams to cover all the areas presented. Please savethe date and share this information with colleagues.
This past spring the Center convened six outreach meetings inDuluth, Marshall, Rochester, St. Cloud, Bemidji, and the St. Paul/Metroarea. Participants included professionals from the fields of law,education, health services, and human services. Technical, community,and private colleges and universities were represented. Each meetingincluded an introduction to the Center's programs and staff, akeynote speaker, a panel discussion, and focus groups.
The bountiful data collected from the focus group sessions reflecteda need for curriculum, mentoring, and hands-on training that wouldprepare professionals for the constantly changing demands of workingwith clients affected by violence and abuse. Focus group participantsalso expressed a desire for opportunities to network with variousprofessionals and they called for creation of a central placeproviding access to information on current curriculum, outreachactivities, and resources to build awareness. Feedback from theseregional meetings was compiled by our Center Staff. It was givento task force members and has provided direction for us as well.
We thank all those who participated in these regional meetings.We especially recognize the efforts of the following:
Keynote speakers: Don Streufert--Center for Rural Violence, TheHonorable Mary Louise Klas--Ramsey County, Lila George--BemidjiState University, Dr. Lee Bird--St. Cloud State University, andJamie Tiedemann--University of Minnesota.
Moderators: Dr. Bill Wagner--Mankato State University, Dr. LeeBird--St Cloud State University, Susan Smith--Bemidji State University,Sheila Hart--Psychologist, International Falls, Marie Lee-Rude--MinnesotaExtension, Marshall, and Lee LaDue--Sexual Assault Center, St.Cloud.
Panelists: Cathy Hartle, Peter Legus, Ralph Holcomb, Bruce Dicke,Judy TeBeest, Robert Johnson, Candance Crozier, Deborah Barnes,Michael Cline, Glenn Gabriel, Donna Dunn, Allen Mayotte, LoisGibson, Kathleen McQuillan, Sharon Rice Vaughan, Doug Lewandowski,Cindy Anderson, Barbara Elliot, Bruce Anderson, Sharon Kunerth,Kate Steffens, Ellie Trautman, and Don Fairchild.
The Center's major activity this past year has been the design,development, and formulation of four task forces:
Law (Law and Law Enforcement)
Health Services (Nursing and Medicine)
Human Services (Psychology and Social Work)
Education (Teacher Education, School Administration, and GuidanceCounseling)
The task forces were charged with reviewing, revising, and makingrecommendations on curriculum, licensing, and continuing educationfor the nine targeted professions as related to violence educationand prevention.
Each task force was composed of higher education faculty, practitioners,students, representatives from licensing agencies, and communityrepresentatives. There were more than 350 nominations for seatson the task forces. From that group, 86 people served as taskforce members representing a diverse group in terms of gender,institutional/organizational affiliation, race, and geographicarea (a list of task force members follows this article).
Each task force met for two days in April, one day in June, andone day in September. The first meeting was an overnight retreatproviding members the opportunity to get to know each other aswell as to provide them with a solid understanding of their charge.
Task Force members studied two reports prepared by the HigherEducation Coordinating Board in 1993 and the Rules and Statutesgoverning the related licensing agencies. The members were alsoasked to examine current information on coursework, licensing,and continuing education in specific professional areas and todetermine if students were adequately prepared in that profession.
The task force report will be distributed at the Center's annualconference in October. If you will not be attending the conference,but would like a copy of the report, please write, call, or e-mailthe Center and a copy will be sent to you when it becomes available.
Christine Imbra and the rest of the Center staff would like tothank the task force members for their hard work, patience, knowledge,and support for this process. The task force report will trulybe a reflection of their commitment to this issue.
The Center's Electronic Clearinghouse received an extraordinarynumber of requests for information in August. Since the Clearinghousewas established on the World Wide Web (Internet) in late May,its use has grown by 35% each month. In June the Clearinghousereceived 428 requests (measured by people logging into the "homepage" of the Clearinghouse). In July it received 580 requests,and our staff estimates that August requests number more than800. We expect that with continued expansion and publicity thenumber of requests per month will continue to rise.
Requests for information came from all over the state, the country,and the world. Users accessed the Clearinghouse from sites atuniversities, government agencies and private organizations inMinnesota and the United States, as well as from Peru, Canada,Mexico, Chile, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand,the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Finland, Portugal, South Africa,and Israel.
How to Use the Clearinghouse
Logging into the Clearinghouse requires access to the Internet.Many people have access through universities, businesses and organizations.Others gain access through subscriptions to commercial servicessuch as America Online, Prodigy, and the new Microsoft Network.
Once on the Internet, accessing the Clearinghouse is easiest withwhat is called a "web browser," such as Netscape orMosaic, both of which are available to download off the Internetfree of charge for individual users. Many commercial on-line serviceslike America Online now build web browsers into their latest software.
After access to the Internet has been arranged and a web browserchosen, a growing amount of information on violence and abuseis accessible. The Center's Electronic Clearinghouse site on WorldWide Web is located at the following electronic address:
How the Clearinghouse is Organized
The Clearinghouse is designed to provide users with a single,easy access point for the many electronic databases, discussiongroups, news sources, and other links available in a wide varietyof formats on the topic of violence and abuse. Regardless of whetheryou are interested in locating information found in a Gopher system,a newsgroup, the World Wide Web, or elsewhere, you should be ableto gain access to it through the Center's Clearinghouse.
The Clearinghouse is currently organized into six broad areas:
Simply clicking on the area of interestconnects the user to that "page" in the Clearinghouse.
Each of the six areas have subsidiary listings within them. Eachpage also has a navigation map at the bottom to allow movementwithin the Clearinghouse without necessarily returning to thehome page.
The Clearinghouse now has over 100 links to information and othercomputer sites worldwide. These links in turn connect to hundredsof other links elsewhere. With a click of the mouse, a wealthof information on violence and abuse from all over the world isaccessible.
New Features
New features are constantly being added to the Clearinghouse.Some of the many features of interest include:
Future Expansion
The Clearinghouse has expanded its computer-based memory, enablingthe Center to add more new, original materials. We are currentlyseeking course syllabi to place in our Teaching Resources section.There are plans to add a variety of other new sections directedat specific professions and populations. We will also continueto refine and expand the infrastructure to include electronicfeedback forms, a guest registry, and improved on-line help forusers.
If you are interested in contributing any resources or if youhave questions, comments, or suggestions, please email, writeor call the Center. We would appreciate suggestions on other waysto improve the Clearinghouse so that it can better meet your needs.
Nancy Biele, Co-director
A member of the Advisory and Executive Committees since the Center'sinception, Nancy Biele joined the Center as a co-director in Julyafter Christine Imbra, the executive director,began working half-timefrom her home in Bemidji. Nancy formerly served as the violenceprevention planner for Minnesota in the Office of Drug Policyand Violence Prevention from 1992-1994. Her duties there includeddevelopment of violence prevention strategies for state agenciesand communities and consultation on violence prevention efforts.Prior to that she was the executive director of the Sexual ViolenceCenter of Hennepin, Carver, and Scott Counties and she has workedwithin victim-serving agencies for more than 21 years.
In addition to her duties at the Center, Nancy is the directorof Incarnation House, a transitional housing program for womenwith chemical dependency, parenting, and self-sufficiency issues.She also works with the Minnesota Council of Churches Committeeon Sexual Exploitation within the Religious Community, servingas a consultant, trainer, and victim advocate on issues of clergysexual misconduct.
Her most recent publications include chapters in Breach ofTrust: Sexual Exploitation by Health Care Professionals and Clergy(John Gonsiorek, Editor, Sage Publications, 1994), Transforminga Rape Culture (Buchwald, Fletcher, and Roth, Editors, MilkweedEditions, 1993), and the Minnesota Coalition Against SexualAssault Training Manual (MCASA, 1993).
Kris Kvols, Graduate Assistant
Kris Kvols is currently working on a master of arts degree infamily education through the College of Education at the Universityof Minnesota. She is also nearing completion of a certificatein the alcohol and drug counseling education program offered throughthe Family Social Science department and Continuing EducationExtension. Kris holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychologyand speech communication/theater art from Concordia College inMoorhead, Minnesota, where she graduated magna cum laude in 1992.Her responsibilities at the Center include maintaining the clearinghouse,coordinating production of the newsletter, and assisting withthe Center's conference.
Andrea Bible, Intern
Andrea Bible, an intern at the Center, is an undergraduate atthe University of Minnesota. She will graduate summa cum laudein December 1995, with a degree in women's studies and Englishliterature. Andrea has spent time in Budapest, Hungary, whereshe worked with a Hungarian women's organization to help establishHungary's first hotline for survivors of physical and sexual violence.She is a volunteer advocate for WomanKind at Fairview RiversideHospital, and works as a Peer Advisor in the College of LiberalArts' Honors Division. At the Center, Andrea's principle responsibilitiesinclude assisting with grant preparation as well as performingother administrative duties. She began working at the Center inJune 1995, and plans to continue through December 1995.
We would like to recognize our former graduate assistants andinterns for all of their assistance. Their energy and talentswere a distinct asset to our Center. Our sincere thanks to:
Mary Litsheim, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
David Seyfried, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Gayle Edwards, College of Saint Scholastica, Duluth
Peter Langlais, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Bo Thao, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Cheryl Wolken, College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph
Nancy Biele, Co-director -- (612) 625-7086
Christine Imbra, Co-director -- (612) 624-3471
Kris Kvols, Graduate Assistant -- (612) 624-2716
Coreen Rohrberg, Principal Secretary -- (612) 624-0721
Jeff Edleson, Planning and Evaluation Coordinator -- (612) 624-0079
Andrea Bible, Intern
All staff are available by calling toll-free in Minnesota: 1-800-646-2282
Minnesota Higher Education Center Against Violence and Abuse
386 McNeal Hall
1985 Buford Avenue
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN 55108-6142
Phone: (612) 624-0721
In Minnesota: 1-800-646-2282
Facsimile: (612) 625-4288
Electronic Mail: Email Us
World Wide Web Site: http://www.mincava.umn.edu
Last modified April 14, 1998 -- kzb.
Copyright © 1995, Minnesota Center
Against Violence & Abuse
