This article is a part of the START issue, a guide for all incoming Oregon State University students and their families going through START, which aims to help familiarize them with the campus, college life, academic success and more.

Oregon State University students can access several on-campus organizations that aim to advocate for students, including the Survivor Advocacy and Resource Center, Student Legal Services and the Office of Advocacy. 

SARC provides free, confidential advocacy and counseling services to students, staff and faculty who have faced sexual assault or other forms of trauma, including revenge porn, stalking, domestic violence and workplace sexual harassment. 

Becca Williams, director of SARC, listed some of the services they can provide to students. 

“We believe that survivors know their path to healing better than anyone, and we support them by providing crisis counseling, virtual support groups, safety planning, housing and academic accommodations, accompaniment throughout reporting and court processes, medical advocacy and counseling referrals,” Williams said in a statement over email. 

During COVID-19 closures, SARC has remained fully operational, even as many of their services have transitioned to remote delivery. 

“We are currently offering Zoom and phone appointments. Students can get in touch with us and make appointments on our website,studenthealth.oregonstate.edu/sarc, call us on our 24/7 line at (541) 737-2030, or email us at [email protected],” Williams said over email. 

Williams also added that their office seeks to promote social justice, and understands the compounding factors that race, sexual orientation, immigration status and income may have on a student’s likelihood to experience violence. 

Another on-campus organization for student advocacy is Student Legal Services, a student-fee funded service provided by the Associated Students of OSU, the university’s student government.

Noah Chamberlain, staff attorney for Student Legal Services, said legal workers for SLS can provide legal advice and serve as an attorney for students, but have a limited scope of services and can’t represent a student in court. 

According to Chamberlain, common reasons students contact their office include landlord-tenant issues, immigration law advice, employment issues, family law, child support, and minor criminal misdemeanors, such as noise complaints. Chamberlain encouraged any students with legal concerns to reach out to their office for advice or referrals, even if their issue isn’t listed directly on their website. 

Student Legal Services can be contacted by calling their office directly at 541-737-4165, or by sending them an email at [email protected]. 

Another advocacy service provided by ASOSU is the Office of Advocacy, a service that seeks to empower students and educate them about their rights and options as students at OSU. 

Student Advocate for the Office of Advocacy Daniel Dietz described the mission of their office as being a provider of “person-centered advocacy” for OSU students. 

“The Office of Advocacy is here to support any student who experiences conflict within the university. This could be anything from a miscommunication with an instructor to a formal process, like student conduct,” Dietz said in a statement over email. “At the Office of Advocacy, our job is to support students and help ensure that the student conduct process is procedurally sound. We support students through all the stages of formal processes that apply to students.” 

According to Dietz, “The office of advocacy is always on the student’s side.” 

Students interested in reaching out to the Office of Advocacy are encouraged to schedule an appointment on theOffice of Advocacy website.