The recently established Office of Victim Services (OVS) at Ball State welcomed Michele Cole as its victim advocate on March 13. Cole comes to her new position after serving seven years as a victim advocate with the Muncie Police Department, a role that prepared her for working with students in need of services.

"I really feel like I can make a difference here," Cole said. "This location is less intimidating for students, and I am hoping they are more apt to seek the services offered right here on campus, rather than having to travel off campus."

Cole's location on campus is on the second floor of Ball State's Health Center, across from the Women's Center. She said that location is no accident.

"One goal in placing me here is that we hope in the future to have a facility where we have nurses trained as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), and victims would be able to come here directly after an assault instead of having to go to the hospital," Cole said.

The OVS was established with a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and created to coordinate services for victims with on-campus departments, local criminal justice and legal agencies and area medical facilities.

June Payne, director of Ball State's Counseling and Health Services, project director and author of the grant proposal, said that while funding for the grant came from the Office of Violence Against Women, any time men are victims of violent crimes, the services of the OVS are there for them, too.

"We want everyone on campus to be aware of the services available," Payne said. "Faculty and staff, as well as students, are encouraged to take advantage of the facilities if they are victims of a violent crime."

To facilitate the goal of education, the office will conduct outreach services on campus, going into classrooms and other gatherings of students to offer programs on relationship violence, stalking and sexual assault. Cole said the first program will be offered during Freshman Welcome Week activities this fall.   

Services provided by the OVS include assistance in filing protective orders, accompaniment to court hearings, acting as a liaison between victims and the criminal justice system and offering guidance and emotional support.

"One important part of my job is helping victims link up to the community agencies in a way that lessens their anxiety," said Cole. "We're here to help guide them through the experience. And we hope they feel less traumatized because of that help."

For more information, contact Cole at 285-7844 or mdcole@bsu.edu.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Payne at jpayne@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1264.)