Established in 1988, CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center has been a standard-bearer of survivor support services and prevention education for campus sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. The launch of the program came from a group of dedicated staff and students who had been advocating for rape prevention education and victim services since 1979.
Initially named, “Student Safety Awareness Program,” the department was staffed by one professional staff member and two student interns. CARE at SARC was one of the first holistic and stand-alone campus victim services programs within the UC system. Meaning that CARE at SARC has always provided direct victim services as well as spearheaded UC San Diego violence prevention efforts. As the need for services and education grew, so did the program. CARE at SARC has received over $1,000,000 in federal grants that helped support innovative violence prevention campaigns (“UCSD Most Guys”; “Every Little BIT Counts”; “Colors of CARE”); increased the number of professional staff within the department, and enhanced direct services for survivors.
In 2018, UC San Diego’s CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center will commemorate its 30th Anniversary. This is a celebration, acknowledgement, and reaffirmation, that since its creation in 1988, CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center has been and always will be dedicated to creating a safe and respectful UC San Diego community.