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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle CAMPUS LIFE Christy Karras, Feature Editor: c.karraschronicle.utah.edu Monday, March 29, 1999 The Daily Utah Chronicle The Women's Center WORKS MARIE BY f" i LIIIGI II iy QUINN the American workforce is tough these days without a college educa- tion. For women, however, college may sometimes seem like an almost insurmountable barrier to success. This is especially true for those returning after years of being out of the educational loop. That's one reason the Women's Resource Center is here to help. In the early 1960s, women began entering the workforce in droves during the second wave of women's liberation. The initial swell of societal activism developed after the first women's rights convention, held in New York in 1848. Did women of the 1960s scramble to the workforce because of another women's movement? Which one is the chicken, and which one is the egg: the Women's Rights Movement, or the Working Woman? According to anthropologist Marvin Harris, the working housewife came first. In Harris's popular text, "Why Nothing Works," Harris describes an influx of young married women with children under the age of 18 entering the work force en masse, caused by "a great inflation and not a great feministic rise in consciousness." Whichever cracked the egg of women's liberation, economics or social activism, the Women's Resource Centers evolved in the late '60s to promote equality among women and minorities, and to assist women going back to school after an extended absence. As enrollment of women in universities increased, women's resource centers started moving onto university campuses. The University of Utah has one of the n and most Women's Centers in the nation, according to the center director, Kathryn Brooks. The University of Utah Women's Resource Center was founded in 1972 "by a group of visionary women, faculty, and graduate students," says well-know- Brooks. The center fosters equality for women and minorities at the university through a variety of programs and services. Brooks also says the University of Utah President's office assists the center in promoting "total equity of the Universit- y." With the support of administration and other departments, the women's center assumes an active role in matters of equity and maintains a welcoming atmosphere for anyone in need of assis- tance regarding minority and women's issues. In order to implement assistance on campus, the center sponsors and several groups and consulting services. Group counseling and consultations are offered to support people dealing with issues of divorce, lesbianism, eating disorders, body image, financial planning, career exploration, single parenting, and many other areas. The center also caters to the needs of students and offers advice for those returning to higher education after a break. Brooks says the Center "sees a blend of students," and about 50 percent of the students who utistulize the center are traditional-age- d dents, and about 50 percent are non-traditio- In providing counseling, the women's center works closely with the University of Utah Counseling Center, but they maintain their own identities. The top three reasons students seek counseling at the women's center are for issues sexual assault regarding in and confutheir or pasts), (recently self-estee- sion about what they want for their lives. The center's fees are based on a sliding scale, which helps make the services affordable to college students, and referrals are also provided. Education is another aspect emphasized by the women's center. Approximately two graduate and undergraduate scholarships are given out every year, and a library within the center is available for research on gender and minority subjects. In addition, seminars are often given on campus throughout the year. Every fall the center hosts presentations in its "Secds of Violence" program. A different educational topic is presented each fall, Kathy Brooks, director of the Women's Resource center, shows some of the printed information available to any student who wants to know more about subjects from date rape to workplace issues. available to the public. Some of the past lectures "What Makes Women Prone to Violence," "Pornography of Everyday Life," and "Abusiveness to Our Bodies," demonstrate the range of issues covered. Every semester, the center presents "Power Lunches," a series of informative lectures held on Tuesdays at noon, free and open to the pubic. The "lunches" also cover a wide range of topics. The April 6 lecture is titled, "Exploring Career Options for women: A Look at the Correctional System," presented by Julie Martinez, Correctional Captain of the Utah State Prison. On Non-traditio- g April 13, Kate Greenville, an Australian writer, will be presenting the lecture "Australian Women Writers and The Feminist Debate." With so many "tools" for learning award-winnin- organized by the women's center, it is successful in supporting a niche at the university. The abundance of resources offered, and evidence of minority, gender, and domestic issues, prove a need for the center's existence. Brooks says, "Women arc minorities at the University of Utah, 43 to 47 percent of the students are female, and fewer women arc enrolled at this campus than most. Part of the problem is they Utah women go to BYU." Brooks also suggests the U is a little more expensive than the nearby colleges and that contributes to the lower enrollment of females at the U. Women faculty arc also in the minority in many departments at the University of Utah. Dr. Ron Coleman, associate vice president for academic affairs in charge of diversity, works with Brooks in creating total equity of the university and recruiting women's faculty. Coleman actively encourages departments to increase their numbers of minoriwomen and ties. Coleman says there is a "shortage of people in the pool" to recruit from, and he aggressively pursues ways to generate a diverse mix of applicants for positions. Two other vehicles Brooks, Coleman and their offices use to further equality at the University of Utah are the programs ACCESS and CESA. The ACCESS program, sponsored by the College of under-represent- ed Science, prepares high school women to enter science labs in the fall. "It gives them a good start," says Brooks. She adds that the first woman to graduate from Harvard College of Law as first in her class was an ACCESS student. The ACCESS scholarship offers approximately 20 women year-lon- g "hands-on- " experiences in science and technology. CESA, the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs, acts as a center for minority and educationally disadvantaged students and helps ensure a positive academic and social experience at the University. Through the education and programs offered and encouraged by the Women's Resource Center, and its strong commitment to gender concerns and issues, it is more likely that some things "Will Work." And, regardless of why the wave of women's liberation developed or when, it has flooded society and created a need for the support of women and minorities pursuing multi-cultur- equality. al - 9 |