Welcome back! We’ve got spring ‘25 safety updates
Hi, SafeBears — here are a few quick safety updates as our students begin the new semester.
We won’t ask again — please donate today!
Over winter break we met with the student government senator who is spearheading the two new ASUC-SafeBears safety programs that we’ve been fundraising for since Nov 18, 2024. Both are on track to begin in February or March.
Through Jan 1, 2025, you donated an incredible $7,500! We’re hoping to reach $10,000 by week’s end. Please make a tax-deductible gift today!
DONATE for free & convenient personal safety classes
DONATE for safe & inclusive nighttime events
DONATE to our general fund
Campus is improving its response to predatory drugging
As we wrote about previously, the SafeBears Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment Committee has been meeting with the administration to urge a better campus response to predatory drugging, commonly known as drink spiking. We’re now pleased to report that that our vision for Fall 2025 is getting closer to being realized (campus response in brown):
Predatory drugging awareness as part of Golden Bear Orientation — “We will include information about non-consensual drugging and testing materials in the twice-yearly notification sent to all students, staff and faculty as part of the Drug Free Schools Act, and in the pre-orientation materials sent to all new incoming students.”
Robust PartySafe educational materials to warn and inform — Campus created an updated information sheet on non-consensual drugging that is linked in three places on the University Health Services website. In addition, “we are developing a plan with (among others) the Campus Recovery Program and the Path to Care office to get funding to increase our peer outreach and prevention materials distribution.”
Drink testing devices available for free at the Tang Center — “UHS is consulting with the UCOP Division of Graduate, Undergraduate, and Equity Affairs who will provide guidance on addressing the suggestions in [Assembly Bill 1524] and recommendations on where to obtain testing materials.” (AB 1524 requires Cal State and community colleges to provide drink testing strips at campus health centers, but UC compliance is optional because of the UC’s constitutional autonomy.)
Unit 2 security fencing is on schedule and other residence hall updates
In our meeting last week with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Stephen Sutton, we learned that the Unit 2 security fencing project is on track for completion in April. Please be aware, however, that the security gates will not actually be locked for the remainder of spring semester, so as not to disrupt students’ routines as they head into exams.
The Unit 3 security fencing project will begin in June with completion expected in December 2025.
Unfortunately, there is no plan yet for security fencing for Unit 1. SafeBears will continue to advocate for the speedy installation of fencing and gates in all Units — as we have been doing for the past two years.
On another topic, VC Sutton pledged to take a closer look at whether campus can do more to improve security in residence hall communal bathrooms, to protect students from invasions of privacy while they shower and from trespassing by non-residents. For over a year now, SafeBears has been asking for (1) floor-to-ceiling privacy partitions for ALL showers and toilets and (2) the hall doors to bathrooms to be locked, as a deterrent against the ongoing issue of unhoused and unauthorized individuals accessing bathrooms.
Finally, we commend campus for continuing to improve its training and retention efforts for Residential Safety Ambassadors, the student workers who staff the the lobbies of Southside dorms in the evening. The fall ‘24 semester began with close to full staffing (much better than in years past), and according to VC Sutton the RSA workforce has seen very little shrinkage, with close to the full complement of 150 RSAs as the spring semester begins.
FAQs about donations to SafeBears
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Yes, almost certainly, as SafeBears is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. But we can’t give tax advice, so you should consult a tax professional if you have any questions about your specific situation.
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Yes, you will get an immediate confirmation by email, and we will send a separate letter for tax preparation purposes ahead of the April ‘25 filing deadline.
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We strive to keep our overhead expenses as low as possible. But certain costs are unavoidable, such as web site hosting, tax preparation, insurance, and Zoom hosting, among other items. Our annual overhead is currently about $5,000.
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NO. The five board members are volunteers. There is no paid staff. Our by-laws require each board member to make at least a $100 donation annually, and most of our past and current board members have contributed more than that, not just in significant volunteer hours, but also in the form of additional cash donations as well as donated expenses (i.e., not asking for reimbursement for legitimate expenses).
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Yes. SafeBears has been tax exempt since May 2023. You can view our ‘23 tax filing here.
