Fall 2026 update from the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre

Dear new and returning students, welcome back to another exciting academic year at the University of Alberta. The University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC) is excited to have students back on campus, and we want to share some of our services and also some of the new things and exciting things happening at the Centre. We are fortunate to have fabulous staff who care deeply about supporting our students and making a difference. We are also happy to share some of our milestones with you. Before we look back at our milestones, we want to acknowledge that none of this would have been possible without the unwavering commitment, deep care and shared values of our remarkable team and leaders.

Thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers, the Education Program reached over 7600 participants during the 2025-2026 academic year! Feedback collected highlights a 98% increase in knowledge or awareness of sexual violence and related topics! We are also proud to share a 94% retention rate within our volunteer cohort, with several returning for the 2026-2027 academic year.

UASAC is excited to announce a new collaborative expansion from North Campus to Augustana. We are thrilled to welcome Rebecca McKibbin back to the Augustana campus as the Sexual Violence Response and Wellness Coordinator! This joint endeavour will strengthen our shared commitment to cultivating a culture of consent and building a safe campus community.

The Centre is actively working to engage men and boys in anti-violence work across campus. This includes staff professional development and postsecondary-focused training, with an emphasis on strategy implementation, stakeholder engagement, and the ongoing work of reshaping societal narratives.

We are thrilled to announce that Tatiana LoVerso has been appointed Clinical Lead at the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre. Tatiana has a longstanding history with the Centre, beginning as a student volunteer in the late 1990s. She has led several key areas over the years and remains a guiding force in our work. Notably, her early contributions were instrumental in launching our psychological services, which have continued to flourish with her guidance. Please join us in congratulating Tatiana on this well-deserved role!

Another area of growth within the UASAC has been the development of the Student Traineeship Program. This initiative provides a supportive learning environment for students to develop and practice their skills and build network connections in the areas of research, evaluation and clinical practice. This initiative not only builds capacity and opportunities for students as they prepare for their field, with supervision from seasoned professionals, but also strengthens service capacity and improves service delivery and data to support growth and change.

Finally, we are pleased to share that we have streamlined our psychological services to better meet our community's needs. Our clinical team has strengthened our clinical and systemic capacity to support individuals seeking psychological services. UASAC Intakes (ICs) have been incorporated into our drop-in program. Intakes are now completed within a couple of days of initial contact with our service (vs. a couple of weeks). Additionally, the Drop-in service provides one-to-one support to clients who are not yet ready (or are waiting for) treatment. As a result, the team is more nimble in supporting resource navigation, stabilization, and psychoeducational support in real time. These changes have made the UASAC services more trauma-informed and seamless.

We are happy to be on this exciting school year journey with you.

Sincerely,

University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre team