EDUCATION about and PREVENTION against gender and relationship violence
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The Midwest Campus Safety Summit
About the Conference

The Midwest Campus Safety Summit is a regional and affordable conference for college and university administrators, faculty, staff, and students interested in improving their campus efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. The 2023 Midwest Campus Safety Summit is scheduled for September 20-21 at the Husch Blackwell office space in Chicago, IL.
The Summit is designed for key college personnel from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Those invited include: Title IX coordinators, college/university legal representatives, campus and public safety officers, residential life and student affairs personnel, athletic directors, women’s center staff, student leaders, health and counseling professionals, and other campus and community representatives interested in campus safety.
Thanks to corporate and foundation sponsors and partnerships, we are able to keep Midwest Campus Safety Summit registration fees extremely affordable. Our rationale is to encourage campuses to send multi-disciplinary teams to attend, increasing the impact of the Summit on every campus represented. We are committed to hosting a wide range of regional campus safety representatives at every Summit while maintaining the highest quality conference of its kind.
The Midwest Campus Safety Summit is the result of a collaborative relationship between Jana’s Campaign, Inc. and Husch Blackwell. Utilizing their expertise and knowledge of the field these partners provide conference coordination and facilitation for the Summit. Other colleges, universities and gender-based advocacy groups are participating as supporters and collaborators for this project.
The Summit is designed for key college personnel from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Those invited include: Title IX coordinators, college/university legal representatives, campus and public safety officers, residential life and student affairs personnel, athletic directors, women’s center staff, student leaders, health and counseling professionals, and other campus and community representatives interested in campus safety.
Thanks to corporate and foundation sponsors and partnerships, we are able to keep Midwest Campus Safety Summit registration fees extremely affordable. Our rationale is to encourage campuses to send multi-disciplinary teams to attend, increasing the impact of the Summit on every campus represented. We are committed to hosting a wide range of regional campus safety representatives at every Summit while maintaining the highest quality conference of its kind.
The Midwest Campus Safety Summit is the result of a collaborative relationship between Jana’s Campaign, Inc. and Husch Blackwell. Utilizing their expertise and knowledge of the field these partners provide conference coordination and facilitation for the Summit. Other colleges, universities and gender-based advocacy groups are participating as supporters and collaborators for this project.
2023 Conference Information
Speakers and program information

David L. Williams is a thirty-year public safety veteran twice recognized by the Fraternal Order of Police as Officer of the Year, and by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Rotary Club, the University of Arkansas, The Children’s Safety Center, and others for his work with families and children in crisis. Assignments during the course of his career included paramedicine, patrol, detective investigations, SWAT medic, helicopter rescue, mental health liaison, training, and command. He has taught investigation techniques and violence prevention strategies across the country, and he is the bestselling author of Textbooks, Not Targets: Preventing School Shootings in Your Community and Fighting for Her Life: What to Do When Someone You Know is Being Abused.
David met his wife, a journalist, when she covered a double homicide trial and he spied her from the witness stand—quite possibly the most romantic guilty verdict in history. He is the proud father of two sons, both veterans and the grandfather of two toddlers who now essentially run his life.
David met his wife, a journalist, when she covered a double homicide trial and he spied her from the witness stand—quite possibly the most romantic guilty verdict in history. He is the proud father of two sons, both veterans and the grandfather of two toddlers who now essentially run his life.
Click here to view the Midwest Campus Safety Summit Program.
Registration, hotels, and location
The Midwest Campus Safety Summit will take place in downtown Chicago, IL located at 120 S Riverside Plaza STE 2200, Chicago, IL 60606.
Hotel Information:
La Quinta Inn Downtown - 1 S Franklin Street, Chicago, IL - 312-558-1020
Hyatt Place Chicago|Downtown|The Loop - 28 N Franklin Street, Chicago, IL - 312-955-0950
Hilton Garden Inn Chicago|Magnificant Mile - 10 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL - 312-595-0000
Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel - 17 E Monroe Street, Chicago, IL - 312-726-7500
Congress Plaza Hotel - 520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL - 312-427-3800
Hotel Information:
La Quinta Inn Downtown - 1 S Franklin Street, Chicago, IL - 312-558-1020
Hyatt Place Chicago|Downtown|The Loop - 28 N Franklin Street, Chicago, IL - 312-955-0950
Hilton Garden Inn Chicago|Magnificant Mile - 10 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL - 312-595-0000
Palmer House - A Hilton Hotel - 17 E Monroe Street, Chicago, IL - 312-726-7500
Congress Plaza Hotel - 520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL - 312-427-3800
The Midwest Campus Safety Summit will take place in downtown Chicago, IL located at 120 S Riverside Plaza STE 2200, Chicago, IL 60606.
sponsors/exhibitors
If you are interested in sponsoring this Summit or reserving an exhibitor booth please view our opportunities here.
Proposed Summit Topics
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Summit Objectives
Campus leaders will be encouraged to develop a team of key campus stakeholders to create a comprehensive and integrated approach to preventing and responding to gender-based violence at their institutions. Furthermore, promoting a focused and coherent system of support that encourages respectful, non-violent relationships will also be addressed. The summit’s ultimate goal is to transform area colleges and universities to:
- Prevent abusive behaviors by engaging faculty, staff, and students in promoting healthy relationships;
- Ensure that the institution is prepared to respond promptly and effectively to incidents and reports of violence when they do occur; and
- Ultimately to change campus norms so that campus members hold themselves and each other to respectful and non-violent standards of interpersonal behavior.
The conceptual framework for this educational summit was developed with the assistance of the report Beyond Title IX: Guidelines for Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education.
This document was developed by Futures Without Violence and the Avon Foundation for Women.
This document was developed by Futures Without Violence and the Avon Foundation for Women.
2022 Summit Feedback
Gained new insight and made some solid connections. It was a packed two days and I'm thankful I got to attend. Thank you for putting on a great conference! We plan to review our policies and procedures based on information shared during the conference regarding possible changes to Title IX regulations. Gave our institution some great resources for educational training and preventative measures we can take. |
I learned a lot and it helped me to identify some areas where our Title IX office can do better to serve our campus community. As a result of the Summit, we definitely will focus more on incorporating information about what healthy relationships look like into our training, as well as bystander intervention material to empower students to be the change. Very informative and fun presenters. All info was easily applicable to campus! |
Regional Summits
Based off of a highly successful model, the Midwest Campus Safety Summit is one of four regional summits. Other Campus Safety Summits include: The Rocky Mountain Campus Safety Summit (Denver, CO), the Heartland Campus Safety Summit (Overland Park, KS), and the Gulf Coast Campus Safety Summit (Houston, TX). Together, these summits have attracted hundreds of participants from dozens of states across the United States.
Exhibitor Space
If you are interested in sponsoring this Summit or reserving an exhibitor booth please view our opportunities here.