2018 Recommendation to Promptly Provide More Resources to the Women and Gender Advocacy Center (WGAC)
March 21, 2018
TO: President Tony Frank
FROM: Zinta Byrne on behalf of the President’s Commission on Women and Gender Equity
SUBJECT: Recommendation to Promptly Provide More Resources to the Women and Gender Advocacy Center (WGAC)
Recommendation
The Commission recommends that more resources be directed towards WGAC this fiscal year. With some urgency, we recommend meeting with WGAC Director, Monica Rivera, and her staff to understand how CSU can better support WGAC advocacy. Our understanding is that they are so busy providing advocacy to survivors that their staff are being taken away from other work including important prevention education efforts with the campus-wide Reframe initative.
Background
The WGAC provides programs and resources focusing on all genders, social justice, and interpersonal violence prevention. Additionally, WGAC provides advocacy and support for victims of sexual violence, stalking, sexual harassment and relationship violence. In the past 6 years WGAC has seen a dramatic rise in the number of survivors served (see attachment). Whether this is due to an increase in overall student population on campus, an increase in incidences, increased reporting and awareness (WGAC continue to widely promote their services), other circumstances, or some combination thereof, WGAC clearly needs more resources to better serve the large number of survivors coming through their doors.
Promotes the Mission and Goal of the Commission
WGAC’s services align extremely well with the Commission’s mission to promote an environment at Colorado State University that fosters productive and supportive relationships and interactions among people. It also shares the University’s goal of making Colorado State University the best environment for women to work and learn. Finally, WGAC is well aligned with CSU’s REFRAME initative.