With the departure of Director Mary Childers, The Women's Resource Center may take a different course at the College.
While the success and accessibility of the Center are dependent on the Administrative Assistant and the student staff, the director's activities are a large part of the Center's visibility, according to the organization's annual report.
Childers, who will take her position as head of the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office this fall, instituted many changes since coming to the College as the Center's director in 1991.
But because the Center is so dependent on Childers, her departure raises questions about the Center's future direction.
"The first thing that needs to be done is to discuss how to manage the Women's Resource Center on an interim basis," Dean of Students Lee Pelton said, adding that an acting director will be hired until a permanent replacement is found.
Childers said she would work closely with the interim director to ensure a smooth transition and the continuation of the Center's programs.
Realizing the limited resources available to the Center, Childers geared its programs to issues students felt were important, rather than developing her own agenda.
"I wanted it to be a student-centered space where students identified current topics and developed programs that met the immediate needs of students," Childers said.
In order to accommodate the rising awareness and need for programs dealing with the issue of sexual assault, Childers and English Professor Brenda Silver co-directed the Sexual Harassment and Rape Education Network, an umbrella for coordinating the various resources on campus dealing with the issue.
SHARE encompasses the Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Committee, the Rape Education Action Committee, as well as other programs that include academic assistance, men's discussion groups and courses in self defense and rape prevention as well as other programs.
"We are trying to make sure that everyone knows what everyone else is doing so we don't duplicate services, so that we know where to refer people who want to help or want to receive help," Childers said.
In the last year, Childers focused particular attention on the overlap of racism and sexism. Under her supervision, intern Marisol Negron '93 formed the Women of Color Support group and a work-study student initiated a weekly multi-racial dinner meeting.
The multi-racial dinner "allows people who don't necessarily get together to get together and discuss things they disagree about," Childers said. "Normally that is race."
Kristine Hong '95 has taken over organizing the Wednesday coalition dinner for the summer. "I think it is going really well, because we have a really diverse group of women who come every Wednesday night," Hong said. "We have some wonderful discussions about women's issues on campus like how women perceive themselves on this campus in terms of being on a very male dominated campus, women in the work force and anything else that they have concerns over."
Childers also co-taught an advanced Women's Studies seminar on Racism and Sexism last spring with SASH Director Judith White.
Childers' arranged a special meeting between Pelton and women leaders on campus. "[Pelton] wanted to listen to a variety of women's issues that they find important to them," Childers said.
While the Center sponsors and co-sponsors many activities both inside the center and throughout the campus, Childers is often called upon to handle personnel conflict and conflict in the classroom. "People often call to ask for advice, they know the solutions, but need to run them by someone," Childers said.
Many groups hold meetings at the Center, including the Women's Network of the Upper Valley, the Dartmouth College Women's Caucus, the Social Issues Committee, Native American Women's Group and Men's Group and many more.
"I think the [Center] is a wonderful place where women can come together," Hong said. "It is a very good way to meet other women. It is not a party atmosphere. People just come to hang out."
