DAC Gender Student Panel

June 4, 2015

Notes – Betty Williams

  1. What has worked well:
  2. Gender and Women’s Studies class provides a helpful context for understanding societal issues of power and privilege; student expressed wish to have taken the class sooner as it would have improved campus experience.
  3. Security being present and providing regular check-ins at the Women’s Center; find them supportive and comfortable to ask for assistance when needed.
  4. Glad to have access to providing feedback through the various student surveys.
  5. Excited to see the new sexual harassment policy
  6. Appreciate faculty members who are present and handle concerns that arise among students – have experienced this assistance in day, evening and online classes; instructors are professional and prompt.
  7. The Women’s Center is a great resource; so is the Student Media Center – students should know that they can get free poster board and printing there; Library is a great resource as well, all the librarians and especially Aryana Bates
  8. Many instructors were mentioned by name as being especially helpful and supportive; faculty value student opinions and support different views
  9. Tutoring Center mentioned as very helpful for International student working on English skills
  10. Karen Stuhldreher, Gender and Women’s Studies Instructor and Panel Facilitator, is very approachable and appreciated
  11. Feminist Alliance is a helpful resource; Chilan Ta very helpful
  12. Faculty members are mostly approachable and understanding, willing to be flexible if life interferes with coursework sometimes; they help facilitate real world discussions and connections of course material
  13. Appreciate the computer lab with free printing and scanning
  14. Experience of Gender Identity impact at the college/in the world:
  15. Miss school spirit, impacted by cultural differences as an International Student
  16. Karen’s class helped with understand female identity in society; books, stories and videos provided women’s stories to identify with; coming from Africa the class helped to understand her position in society
  17. Mostly feel supported on the campus; sometimes bothered by male students talking about women’s bodies, know some women have been harassed
  18. Introduction to Gender Studies is very important; helpful to learn about privilege and know how to talk about it; develop understanding of the intersections of identity
  19. Student Leadership helpful to talk with about privilege and identity intersections, especially Erin Wilson
  20. Getting involved in the Feminist Alliance provided a way to connect, feel safe and supported in this community, learned to grow into a leader through that experience; great to connect with people who care about our growth as people, not just academic success
  21. Challenges relating to Gender Identity:
  22. As women, walking to the care at night after class at 10pm can feel vulnerable when don’t see Security around
  23. At the Wellness Center, have to be aware of what clothing is worn to try to avoid males commenting on my body; sometimes the men dominate the space and may not get to use all of the equipment, as sometimes get ignored when ask to use something
  24. Having experience in low wage jobs, recognized the experience in “servant” role in work as degrading, impacting self-esteem and seeing self as college ready; now see self as smart and capable – supported through Phi Beta Kappa and the Women’s Center
  25. Learned to talk about and deal with comments about body from “Bodies Revealed” class, having women mentors
  26. Developed a social justice identity, plan to transfer and hope to return to North to teach
  27. Challenges at North:
  28. Advising time is too short, would like to have more time to talk and ask questions; several students mentioned this concern-wanting more time to talk in depth and look at best choices for transfer planning; one experience of not getting a code needed and having to make extra trip to return for that; Advisors sometimes give conflicting advice on which courses to take; concern regarding her account being frozen until seeing an advisor, taking a lot of time to get to see one, then the visit was only a couple minutes – just asked if needed help and it was over; account still frozen again the next quarter as the Advisor forgot to remove it
  29. Food options in the Grove – concerns mentioned about wanting more Vegan options; choices that accommodate food allergies to wheat and dairy; put in comments and don’t see change; several panelist agreed that they would like to see more healthy food options
  30. Tutoring Center – for Math a student experienced a long wait and then found out that there was no one there to assist with the particular class she was attending, no access before her final for assistance
  31. Some instructors state that it is nearly impossible to get an A in their classes, unless the student teaches the teacher something
  32. Have had Financial Aid challenges such as the Aid disappearing, so the student checks in weekly to make sure there is not a problem
  33. Double check on graduation requirements and forms being all complete, as there were problems that the student had to track to make sure it all worked
  34. Students have anxiety and stress due to Advising and Financial Aid system challenges, which can be especially difficult for low-income, working students
  35. ED Fund mandates Scholarship students to volunteer to help with the Spring Fundraising event; being in a menial serving role at this event can feel demeaning, have to dress in a certain way, do things like pointing people in a certain direction for hours
  36. International student was frustrated that she had to retake some classes, and was told that it didn’t matter what she takes, when it matters very much to her to use her time and money efficiently towards her academic goals
  37. Recommendations:
  38. Would be helpful to have more connections between Financial Aid and Advising; helpful to make sure that these entities also refer students to the Women’s Center and OCEE/DSHS and other services for support
  39. Women’s Center budget is being cut; would like to see that funding be restored, as this service is very important for students; it should be included in permanent budget
  40. Ed Fund should not make working at the Fundraising event mandatory, the volunteer hours could be better spent doing tutoring for other students
  41. More healthy and Vegan options in the food service area
  42. Would like to see all students required to take a class like the Gender Studies class; as students move into the world, it would be helpful for all of them to bring the analysis of privilege and power issues; doing so early on in a student’s time at the college could help the students be more reflective about their academic and career options, especially if they come from a country with limited options for women
  43. Feminist Alliance is working on getting Gender Neutral bathrooms, starting with the 2 Family Restrooms in the new building; would like to see the college support this effort; suggestion is that the second floor restrooms be labeled Gender Neutral around campus
  44. Advising could use work-study students to provide more information and outreach to students to answer basic questions
  45. Financial Aid and Advising could do tabling and survey students to learn more about their questions, concerns, and needs. More cohesion and working together between these two services would be helpful.
  46. Include the Women’s Center information in course syllabi; make sure faculty are aware of the resources and talk about them in class
  47. List other resources for tutoring, and make sure they are up to date. (One student was sent to UW and then told there that they could not use their services.)
  48. Instructors should be clear in their information at the beginning of a class regarding their grading policy and what it takes to get an A.
  49. Wellness Center could offer some times for women only, which would also allow more Muslim women to access the resources comfortably; if that isn’t possible, then look at options to remind males to refrain from dominating equipment and making comments or ogling females.