Victim Advocacy Services (V.A.S.)

Violence against women – including dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking – is a serious problem on college campuses, as it is in the larger community. The Northern Illinois University community has made a commitment to creating a campus where you will feel safe for who you are and who you wish to become. This includes a commitment to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual violence, intimate partner violence (dating or domestic violence), and stalking.

Victim Advocacy Services at Northern Illinois University is available to ALL students who have been directly or indirectly impacted by sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking to provide free and confidential services. VAS is available to:

• Empower victim/survivors in their own recovery process.
• Provide on-going support and advocacy for continued recovery and progress on personal and academic goals.
• Assist with campus and community referral for services.
• Provide information on resources available both within the University and in the community.
• Assist a victim/survivor through the legal and judicial process, if the victim/survivor chooses to do so.
• Available to provide advocacy and discuss needs where the victim/survivor feels safe.

Victim Advocacy Services is available from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday during the academic year at the Women's Resource Center.

105 Normal Road
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-0320

The Victim Advocacy Services team includes:

Shana Stringfellow, Victim Advocacy Services Coordinator
Kelly Phelan, Coordinated Community Response Graduate Assistant
Carrie Williams, Victim Advocacy Services Project Director and Women's Resource Center Assistant Director
Lisa Schmidt, Acting Director, Women's Resource Center

Please take a short survey about Victim Advocacy Services!

If you are a student at NIU, please complete the
Victim Advocacy Services 2013 Student Survey through SurveyMonkey.

If you are a faculty or staff member at NIU, please complete the
Victim Advocacy Services 2013 Faculty/Staff Survey through SurveyMonkey.