Women on and around the MTSU campus can prepare for their own safety by taking the MTSU Police Department's new five-week fall session of free Rape Aggression Defense classes.

This fall 2015 course is set each Wednesday beginning Aug. 26 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and is open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, along with the general public.

The course concludes Sept. 23, and participants must attend all five sessions to ensure that they receive proper training.

The Rape Aggression Defense System is a comprehensive program of realistic defense tactics and techniques for women that emphasizes awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training.

Nationally certified RAD instructors teach MTSU's free course.

The program is designed for females age 13 and older with no previous experience or background in physical skills training. Instructors will work to accommodate any physical impairment a participant may have.

Class size is limited for this new fall course, so the MTSU Police Department is encouraging interested parties to enroll as soon as possible.

Participants should email their names and contact information to rad@mtsu.edu. Instructors will call or email participants with more details about enrollment and the class location.

For more information about MTSU's RAD classes, send an email to rad@mtsu.edu.