Call for Proposals: NWSA Handbook for Women’s Centers

We are seeking contributions for a handbook for women’s centers. The handbook is being developed by the National Women’s Studies Association Women’s Centers Committee; when complete, it will be available for download or purchase from the NWSA website.

The handbook will provide overviews of "typical" women's centers, sample practices and strategies for dealing with common concerns, as well as a selection of useful resources. It will be available for purchase or download from the NWSA website.

Status: Need one (1) volunteer to co-edit. Need others to submit the next time a call-for-papers (CFP) goes out; as the last one did not generate enough, and submissions need to have more anti-racist/white privilege work embedded in every aspect.

Topics that may be addressed include, but are not limited to:

• Advisory Boards
• Assessment
• Best practices
• Budgets, fundraising, and grantwriting
• Doing research in women’s centers
• Growing your center
• Programming
• Publicity and promotion
• Staffing and hiring
• Strategic planning
• Working with faculty, staff, community members, and/or campus and community partners
• Working with students

If you are interested in contributing, please submit a 400-500 word description of your proposed essay via e-mail to Kathy Fischer (kathy.fischer@uconn.edu).
Along with your proposal, please also send your: Name, Institutional Affiliation, Address, Phone, E-mail.

NWSA Women’s Centers Committee
Current Projects / Working Groups

Anti-Racism/White Privilege Working Group:
This group will continue to critically examine personal and institutionalized racist attitudes, beliefs, actions, and practices in order to dismantle the systems and structures currently in place in our Women’s Centers, the WCC, and NWSA. Possible collaborations with the Anti-White Supremacy Taskforce will be explored as will the development of conference proposals and activities to further the dialogue during Women’s Center Pre-conference meetings, NWSA Conference, and on our individual campuses.

Advisory Council Contact
Penny Rice  pennyr@iastate.edu

Database:
Mission: To develop a comprehensive registry of campus-based women's centers that will assist: (1) colleges and universities seeking to create a new women's center or revitalize an existing one; (2) staff of women's centers in comparing their centers to others'.

The women’s centers database is currently under construction. When completed, it will be a searchable database. The information gathering protocol will utilize self report data from directors or other authorized center personnel.

Advisory Council Contacts
Jane Goettsch   goettsjm@muohio.edu
Jeannie Harvey  jharvey@uidaho.edu

Evaluation/Assessment:
A list of evaluators and consultants for women’s centers, as well as assessment tools for download.
Advisory Council Contacts
Sara Bendoraitis   sbendoraitis@tamu.edu
Sara Stoltenburg   stoltenbg@wcu.edu

Handbook:
Will Provide overviews of “typical” women’s centers, sample practices and strategies for dealing with common concerns, and a selection of useful resources. This is currently being developed and will be published on the website when completed.
Advisory Council Contact

Kathy Fischer  kathy.fischer@uconn.edu

Mentoring Program:
Advisory Council Contact
Brenda Bethman  bethmanb@umkc.edu

Pre Conference:
Co-Chairs
Marlene Kowalsk iBraun  kowalskm@gvsu.edu
Yvette Upton   yvette.upton@vpss.gatech.edu

Proposal Review Chair
Lisa Rismiller  lisa.rismiller@udayton.edu

Statement of Philosophy on the Role of Campus Women’s Centers:
This project is a community writing exercise for which centers around the country will participate in brainstorming sessions about what a women’s center can and should be. The philosophy statement will be inclusive of all centers and their situations. The goal of the project is to produce a 1-2 page statement of philosophy about campus women’s centers that will help guide current and new centers, and inform our work on our various campuses. When published, it will become another source that we can use to justify, support, and expand the work of women’s centers on campus.

Advisory Council Contact
Amber Vlasnik  amber.vlasnik@wright.edu

“What Centers Need” Document:
A working group, co-chaired by Rebecca Morrow (Idaho State University) and Penny Rice (Iowa State University) is leading the development of a “What Centers Need” document. For institutions that are considering establishing a center, the document will be a valuable resource addressing what, ideally, all women’s centers need to be effective forces on their campuses. It will also serve as a point of reference for current women’s center directors and staff, especially in their discussions with institutional administrators. The document will include the following sections: the history and work of women’s centers; resources needed, including space; staffing; budgets; location, both on campus and within reporting structures; populations served; relationship to Women’s Studies Programs; fundraising; and other sections, as needed. The group convened at the 2006 conference and will work to have a draft in place in time for the 2007 conference.

Advisory Council Contact
Rebecca Morrow             
morbecca@isu.edu

National Conference Committee
WCC representative
Xenia Markowitt
Xenia.Markowitt@Dartmouth.edu