How Could a Women's Center Help The Climate at Texas Woman's University?
When most people see the words woman's university behind a name, what do individuals assume? I know that I figured that Texas Woman's University would have an inviting environment with many activities that included and welcomed collaboration with women's initiatives. I am not saying that Texas Woman's University does not offer these activities, but that these activities are scattered throughout the campus. Therefore, when a student looks for projects, community participation, or even help with women's issues, they have a difficult time locating those resources. How could a Women's Center help create collaboration amongst all the university initiatives for women? I think that a Women's Center on TWU's campus could be used as a go to point for many services that the campus offers. For instance, student organizations that are primarily for women's issues, counseling services for domestic violence, service learning activities for classes, and professional career assistance could all be conveniently run out of a women's center. This may seem like only a structural adjustment, but what does this structural adjustment mean for the campus community? It means that when students visit the women's center they will be entering a community rather than a group, program, or activity. This community can foster solidarity amongst students, faculty, staff, and the community in a greater way than the current structure. I would be very interested in hearing individuals comments, concerns, or other thoughts.
posted by sayleshannon @ 1:01 PM
9 Comments:
I like the idea of a women's center, although I also don't know much about them. I really like what you said about how students would be entering a community, rather than a group, program, etc.
Hi Sally.
I, of course, am all for your idea and definitely support what you are doing. I fondly remember my Women's Center at my alma mater because I went there for free contraception, lectures on feminist/women's studies issues, and learned of volunteer groups. They usually offered free tickets to events that were woman-themed around the city for a film or a play.
I believe a women's center could help because we sometimes lose the forest for the trees. We are not collectively involved in the issues that will directly affect us. For example, when Kinky Friedman came to TWU to speak, not a single woman from the audience mentioned or asked his perspective on reproductive health care, and this is at a university with 90% women!!! I think a women's center could be a place for education, for a havenous environment when women need counseling, more affordable services, and a place where they can learn of activities outside of school. Many are commuter students and can benefit from knowing what is also offered in the DFW area as well as Denton County.
I would want the center to give free condoms away...I remember men and women would frequent the center regularly back home for free condoms, brochures, and the center's schedule of events.
Keep up the good work and I'll see what else I can ask or add...
RD
I think that you all propose some great questions and ideas. I think that a women's center that is connected to the women's studies program would be a plus for both sides of the coin. Women's studies could create service learning opportunities more easily. During my experience with my previous institutions women's center, we did have 2-3 graduate assistantships. Thus, it would be a nice way to create more graduate assistantship positions. However, I cannot guarantee those things from my current position. Currently, we are just having a dialogue about the creation of a women's center. Please continue to post your ideas though. We hope that these ideas and comments can be useful for obtaining support from TWU and the greater community.
Dear Anonymous,
I think that you brought up some great points. My previous institution's women's center did the same thing. By offering free condoms the center become a resource for all students on campus. I think that it is also an important component to a healthy campus.
Since you have been involved with a women's center before, I would love to hear more of your thoughts.
Dear Colleen,
Thank you so much for visiting our blog. Please stay in touch because I hope to include some more information about the use of women's centers and some resources for students who are interested.
I think that the Women's Center could also be a place for an 'authority' on EEOC issues: for people to come to when they need information about their rights in the labor industry both in and out of an academic setting. I was trying to think of where to go if I needed to discuss a discrimination/harassment problem in my workplace, and all I could think of was to call an attorney. Of course, most people can't just pick of the phone for that kind of advice or pay the fee that usually accompanies it. Of course we couldn’t call it ‘legal advice,’ but we could definitely have some resources for legal/rights education!
Oh, I also thought it would be a nice place to run some studies on campus across disciplines, and possibly provide funding for women's projects off campus such as conferences. I met with students from other women's institutions and it really seemed like the women's center played a big part in the guidance of their careers.
Hi Sally,
I am all for a women's center on campus. As you put it a "community" where women can interact and help each other is much needed on campus. Even though everywhere I look there is a female standing there I feel as if everyone is at a stand still not sure where to go for certain advice or questions, this women's center could be the answer to everyone's concerns. Anything to promote safe and healthy lives for TWU's students is always welcomed. Good luck with all your endeavors, and I will always back up a good idea.
Sally, I am all for a Women’s Center on the TWU campus. A single entity where we can go to access information and services is an idea that is long overdue to come to fruition. However, I have some apprehensions. I think the biggest obstacles in achieving this goal will be space and money (which I may have missed, but I have not seen either mentioned in your blogs). Where would this building go? Is the campus going to have to purchase more property to build this center? If they do, then it will more than likely be on the periphery of campus, which will make it less likely to be fully utilized as, let’s say the student union.
Next, how will it be funded? Are we going to add yet another fee to the ever expanding list? You can make an argument of another $5 of $10 fee (per credit hour) is nominal for the benefits this will provide, but a large contingent of students here are single parents, trying to scrimp and save to afford the ever snowballing costs of attending college and still afford to put food on the table and clothes on their kids backs. Even if you can get it funded through donations, after it is built, the cost of maintaining the building will revert to the school, and passed on to the students.
When presenting this idea to the student body, and possibly the administration and regents, the logistical information must be worked out. If you are going to get private funding, I would recommend hitting up the Alumni as soon a possible. Set up a student organization so that funds can be collected. Mobilize your troops. Find out if there are any buildings that are not being utilized of that are underutilized for possible conversion. Find support of other campus entities and administrators that will back the idea.
As I said in the beginning, I am all for a Women’s Center, but t needs to be created in such a way where the costs are not going to hurt our families. As a single mother of 3, I can see the benefits, but, I also know my budget, and it’s at a breaking point as it is. I can deal with crossing campus for my services if it means putting food in my kids’ mouths.
Dear K. Hendy,
I want to thank you for your support of this endeavor. At this stage in the project, we are seeking ideas, support, comments, and concerns. The logistics cannot come into fruition until after we know we have support of individuals on campus. Our primary goal is to initiate a dialogue about women's centers. In this process, we creatd this forum to help the campus community explore what women's centers are, how TWU could benefit from a women's center or a similar endeavor, and to find out what TWU students, faculty, and staff would want from a women's center. We do not have a set agenda or funding secured for such a project. And we understand that in order to institute a project like a women's center, much collaboration amongst faculty, students, administrators, and the community would be needed.
Overall, we understand that in all likeliness, a project like this would require outside funding. Since our information meeting we have individuals that would be interested in collaborating and searching for solutions that help out multiple parties.
Please do continue to visit the blog, since the traffic we receive on the blog directly relates to how we can show that there is support for such an endeavor.
Thank you!
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