Members of the Campus Life Council debated a resolution passed by Student Senate last week that called for a University-sponsored women's resource center.
"We found that, for the most part, Notre Dame is one of the few [top 20 universities] in the nation without a women's resource center," said Kaitlyn Redfield, the senator from Pangborn Hall who spoke to CLC on behalf of Senate.
Currently, a student club exists that aims to meet many of the needs that the proposed center would serve; however, it is limited in its hours, staff and programs, Redfield said. She envisions the proposed center serving as an umbrella organization that would provide a network system to connect different University organizations that already have gender relations components.
CLC members appeared supportive of the idea but wanted more information before considering recommending it to the Office of Student Affairs.
"I think if you really want to make a good case of this, I would want to see specific numbers [from peer institutions]," said David Moss, assistant vice-president of Student Affairs.
Other members voiced concern about finding funding and space for the proposed center and suggested that the needs it would address could be fulfilled through existing programs.
"I don't think that this constitutes creating a new office," said Wyatt Maxwell, co-president of the Hall Presidents Council. "I think a lot of this can be dealt with through existing establishments."
Ultimately, CLC agreed to pass the issue along to its Gender Relations Committee to investigate it further and work with the committee of the same name in Student Senate to gather more information.
In other CLC news:
u Joanna Cornwell, a junior in Breen Phillips Hall, addressed CLC about the need for on-campus transportation for temporarily handicapped students. The University's Office for Students with Disabilities previously provided golf carts to handicapped students or had drivers transport them around campus. The program, however, was eliminated due to budget cuts and excessive damage to the carts stemming from vandalism.
The CLC agreed to form a task force to investigate the matter.
CLC Notes:
- The CLC is in the process of forming a committee to evaluate the attendance requirements of resident assistant training. At their last meeting, members passed a proposal that mandated its formation.
- Jeremy Lao, student body vice-president, asked members to think about changing the organization's meeting time for next semester because he is considering registering for a class that conflicts with the current time. Members resisted the suggestion, however. Lao will take over next semester as student body president and chairman of CLC.
