Charles Sturt University (CSU) has joined a national campaign to prevent sexual assault and harassment.

An initiative of Universities Australia launched earlier this year, Respect. Now. Always., aims to raise awareness that sexual assault and all forms of harassment are unacceptable and provide clear pathways of support for those who need it.

CSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann said the University has zero tolerance for sexual assault and harassment.

"We want safety and respect to be central to the Charles Sturt University culture and to be what we're known for. With Respect. Now. Always. we aim to empower everyone affected to seek support and report incidents to us and the police.

In Respect. Now. Always. CSU joins Universities Australia and many other institutions around the country in a sector-wide effort to keep improving the way universities work on this issue and to keep building the values of safety and respect in university communities.

Professor Vann said, "Our staff are also going to be part of a process to ensure our policies, responses and services meet best practice. We will keep talking openly about this process and let our students and communities know what we are doing through the Respect. Now. Always. campaign."

The Respect. Now. Always. campaign was developed to coincide with the Australian release of the U.S. film The Hunting Ground which explores the prevalence of sexual assault in American universities. The film will be screened at CSU campuses and made available online for staff and students during August. Participants at each campus will have the opportunity to discuss issues it raises in the Australian context.

For students and staff members at CSU, a website has been developed to provide them with resources, information, the opportunity to get involved in the campaign, advice for how to help, and how to report and access support services www.csu.edu.au/respect.

CSU has highly skilled people who can support those affected by sexual assault and harassment. Students and staff are encouraged to report incidents to police first, and they will be given full and swift support from the University. CSU has several support mechanisms to ensure our community is a safe and respectful place to learn.

Support at CSU includes:

• Campus security in contact 24/7 for emergencies and safety escorts
• Students can get support from our student counsellors
• Staff can get help from the Employee Assistance Program

Support outside CSU includes:

• Contact 1800 RESPECT for 24-hour support
• Contact NSW Rape Crisis Centre for 24-hour crisis counselling