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Frequently Asked Questions Contents:
What is the UD Women’s Center? The Women’s Center at the University of Dayton (229-5390) is an educational space that serves to enhance the climate for women and men on campus (Women's Center Mission Statement). Located on the second floor of Alumni Hall, the Center advances the full and active participation of women students, staff and faculty who learn and work at the University of Dayton, while promoting campus and community conversations on the role of women in society and the world. The Center accomplishes this mission by facilitating and coordinating programs and initiatives which: promote the physical and psychological well being of women through education, support services and referral; provide an ongoing assessment of the campus climate for women; promote the active and full participation of UD women through service, education, mentoring, networking and advocacy; inculcate leadership skills; address gender-related topics; provide information to the campus community on women’s issues; provide a place to build a community of scholarship to advance research on women and gender; create a welcoming and safe space for persons of different racial, social, gender, religious, and cultural backgrounds; call women and men of all faiths to explore and incorporate faith-based living into their everyday lives. Connected, distinctive, and community-building, the UD Women’s Center strives to promote equality, understanding and mutual respect and to foster a strong educational community in which women and men are supported, challenged and prepared to learn, lead, and serve. The Women’s Center staff have a thorough understanding of the University’s support services and policies relating to these situations. Victims and survivors of sexual assault, sexual harassment, other forms of sexual misconduct, and domestic violence will find caring, compassionate listeners in the Women’s Center, as well as information about and entrée into the University’s and Dayton community’s support services. Where is the Women’s Center located?
Why do we need a Women’s Center at UD? Documents defining the University of Dayton as a Catholic and Marianist institution include a fundamental commitment to gender equity: "Marianist universities work to eliminate gender inequity both in their institutions and in the wider community. The university assures men and women equal educational and leadership opportunities, adequate representation and fair salaries." This statement and others contained in Vision 2005: The Foundation, Characteristics of Marianist Universities, and the Statement on the Catholic and Marianist Identity of the University of Dayton, speak eloquently of gender equity and building an inclusive community. But as documented time and again over the past 10+ years by the President’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues (ACWI) and the Women’s Center Working Group, this rhetorical commitment stood in contrast to the status of gender equity at UD. As ACWI said in its February 2000 Status Report and Recommendations, “As the principles of gender equity and equality characterize the University’s mission and life, so too must institutional character be defined by actions. Only actions validate the stated commitment.” The opening of the UD Women’s Center in January 2003 was an important step toward the University demonstrating, through its actions, its commitment to "…foster[ing] the well being of women in all dimensions: physical, psychological, intellectual, social, and spiritual." Why isn’t there a Men’s Center at UD? Despite even its very explicit commitments to gender equity, the University of Dayton hasn’t existed in a vacuum for the past 150+ years. For the most part, men – especially heterosexual, white males – in American society and in most societies throughout the world have not been discriminated against and had to fight for equal rights like women have in areas such as voting, access to education, employment and salary equity, marital laws, religious institutions, social organizations, etc. A large body of research exists which clearly documents gender-based discrimination against women. Traditionally, American and world history have focused primarily on the achievements and contributions of men, and have largely ignored those of women. In essence, society and social, educational, political and religious institutions have served as “men’s centers.” Who is welcome in the Women’s Center? By design, the Women’s Center operates on two levels – as both an educational “space” and as a network within the UD community to facilitate ongoing conversations on the status and roles of women. To achieve this, all members of the University of Dayton community, women, men, students, staff and faculty, are welcome in the Center. Unless otherwise noted, all the Center’s programming, initiatives and resources are open to the entire UD community. Likewise, the Center’s space is available for use by any UD faculty, student, staff member or group who would like to use it, subject to guidelines found elsewhere on this website. What’s the difference between the Women’s Center and Women’s and Gender Studies? At UD, the Women’s Center and Women’s and Gender Studies have distinctly different, yet complementary, missions. The 25+ year-old academic program called Women’s and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary major/minor. Women’s and Gender Studies attempts to compensate for the traditional omission from many curricula of the historical and contemporary contributions of women. It also looks to the future, intending to enhance the dignity, worth, and effectiveness of all women. In addition to the Women’s and Gender Studies major and minor, UD offers students a Women and Culture cluster designed to correct the historic gender bias in education by expanding the notion of human culture to include the contributions, experiences, and perspectives of women. In contrast, the Women’s Center is not an academic program, but rather a physical space and a network of women and men faculty, staff and students committed to, “…advance[ing] the full and active participation of women students, staff and faculty who learn and work at the University of Dayton, while promoting campus and community conversations on the role of women in society and the world.” The Center’s programming and initiatives will focus on “linking” and “adding value to” the resources for women that currently exist at UD, filling in “gaps” when necessary. How do I contact the Women’s Center? The Women’s Center’s address is #212 Alumni Hall. Its +4 zip is +0322. The Center’s main phone number is 927-229-5390. Its fax number is 937-229-5334. Names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for Center staff are located elsewhere on this site. What hours is the Women’s Center open? The Women’s Center is open 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday – Wednesday and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, closed on weekends and University holidays. In the summer the center is open Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. In addition, depending on the time of year, the Center is open some additional night and weekend hours. Consult the Center’s "Calendar of Events" for activities occurring outside the Center's normal hours, or call 229-5390. Can I use the Women’s Center space for a meeting, function or display? The Women’s Center has four distinct areas that can be reserved for meetings or other functions. They include:
Go to Room Reservation for information about reserving any of these spaces. In addition to these three rooms, the main corridors of the Women’s Center can be reserved as gallery space for exhibitions, art displays, etc. Contact Pattie Waugh (X95490) about scheduling the corridor. What is the Women’s Center Resource Center and how do I access it? Located in Alumni Hall #209, the Women’s Center maintains a collection of books, videos, journals and newsletters on a variety of mission-related topics including: Physical Health, Emotional Health, History/Herstory, Self-Help and Empowerment, Spirituality and Religion, Women and Art, Violence/Abuse/Power, General Reading, and others. The Resource Center also maintains information on UD and Dayton community resources and service providers targeted toward women. Visitors can browse and check out materials in the collection by visiting the Women’s Center in person, or by searching the Roesch Library online catalog (see link elsewhere on this site). Where can I get information about activities and events of particular interest to women? Consult the Calendar of Events located elsewhere on this site. |
The Women’s Center is located in the heart of campus, on the second floor of Alumni Hall. It is accessible through doors at the north end of the building (facing KU), or through doors in the center of the building, facing either Humanities Plaza or Founders Hall. An elevator to the second floor is accessible from these center doors.