The Rape Aggression Defense System is a female self-defense 12-hour course hosted by the Eastern Illinois University Police Department about three times a year.

This course is divided into classroom, hands-on and simulation classes, which are commonly held in the campus recreation center.

Submission forms can be filled out at the university police department on the corner of 7th Street and Grant Ave, or there are print forms on their homepage at http://www.eiu.edu/~police/. The class will then be scheduled around the times submitted.

Lieutenant John Hatfill has taught R.A.D. classes on campus for the last three years.

“I volunteered because I thought it would be a great program for the students,” Hatfill said.

Lieutenant Phil Lang has also been an instructor for three years.

“It is a great way to provide defense to female students,” Lang said, “I have a daughter, and I would want her to get involved one of these days.”

Chief of Police, Adam J. Due, also teaches a one and a half hour self-defense class about once a week that teaches basic skills and shows students and faculty what will be taught in the R.A.D. course.

“Safety should be a priority for everybody, but women seem to be the victims more times than not,” said Due.

R.A.D. has been at Eastern since August 2006.

“We were trying to come up with a self-defense program for women and R.A.D. is well recognized,” said Due.

R.A.D. also offers programs like R.A.D. for men, but it is not offered on Eastern’s campus.

“We may at one point, but there is a self defense class offered to all students through Eastern that covers that,” said Due.

To talk to an instructor or find out more about R.A.D., call the university police department at 581-3213.

R.A.D was founded by Lawrence N. Nadeau, a former U.S Marine, in 1989. It is endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

They also have programs located in Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Switzerland.

Kaitlyn Peters can be reached at 581-7943 or at kdpeters@eiu.edu.