I am writing to respond to the March 5 column by Alec Wooden, who erroneously asserted the University of Georgia is not supportive of Safe Campuses Now’s efforts to help create a safe environment for our campus community.

The University has invested, and continues to invest, hundreds of thousands of dollars each year supporting a variety of efforts designed to enhance and nurture student health and safety behavior.

For example, University employs scores of staff in a variety of student support units, such as the Health Promotions Department, the newly established John Fontaine Jr. Center for Alcohol Awareness and Education and the new Office of Violence Prevention.

Our campus police department and members of the residence life staff are trained and train others in the areas of public safety, prevention and intervention.

Admittedly, the institution does not allocate state funds to Safe Campuses Now, and there is no way it could.

Safe Campuses Now is a registered nonprofit organization, and the University of Georgia, a state agency, legally cannot donate to or subsidize such an entity.

However, SCN does receive support from the University in many other ways.

For the past four years, the University’s Parents and Families Council has awarded $60,000 in grants to SCN. Safe Campuses Now also has received an allocation from the Small Clubs Committee in Campus Life.

In addition, SCN has had the opportunity to make a special presentation to every incoming student and parent during summer orientation.

The executive director of SCN is an invited member of the Community Coalition, a town-gown group organized by the University to address alcohol, drug and student safety issues on and off campus.

SCN produces The Informer and distributes that publication to various campus locations.

The organization has partnered frequently with the University police department to offer self-defense classes for women.

University administrators are invited to and participate in programs sponsored by SCN, such as this week’s Block Party, the Girls’ and Guys’ Night Out events and the upcoming media blitz poster unveiling.

Safe Campuses Now’s efforts are a valuable part of a larger strategy to educate our students on how to protect themselves and others from such occurrences as sexual assault, theft, DUIs and others with which our students unfortunately must deal.

The notion that the University does not support such efforts is just not true. I am disappointed Mr. Wooden did not check his facts before writing his letter.

- Matthew Winston is an assistant to President Michael Adams