Steve Holt, mayor of Florence, signed a proclamation April 2 at a city council meetings officially designating the month of April Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. 

UNA President Kenneth Kitts, Title IX Coordinator Tammy Jacques and Temporary Coordinator Madeleine Frankford received a certificate that congratulated the university on their success.

Afterwards, Kitts gave a few remarks.

“Mayor, members of city council, thank you for this opportunity to partner with you on this resolution,” he said. “Thank you for your support for the University of North Alabama. We are committed to the safety of our faculty, our staff, and our students. Again, this partnership is very near and dear to our hearts.”

Jacques said there is necessity for the increase of awareness and education.

“We have to make sure that people know that this is an important topic and that we need to be having conversations around sexual assault and sexual harassment,” she said. “It is important for UNA, as well as the city. We have this close partnership. Madeline has been tremendous in making a connection.”

She said she thinks that having this partnership shows that they are a united front in addressing these matters.

National statistics show one in 5 women and one in 71 men will be sexually assaulted at some point; whereas children are most at risk, according to a university press release.