Monday, December 8 - Friday, December 12
10am - 4pm
WLRC, 1700 SSB
Audience: UIC Students, Staff, and Faculty

Looking for a welcoming, quiet space to study for finals? Drop into WLRC for snacks, warm drinks, and crafty break activities while you prepare to ace your exams!

Join us at the following times:

[ID: A person with long brown hair wearing headphones, sitting at a desk and writing in a notebook. At the top is "Study for Finals at WLRC." Below them are details about the event.]

Monday, December 8 & Wednesday, December 10
10am - 4pm
WLRC, 1700 SSB
Audience: UIC Students

Keep your family warm this winter! If you are a UIC parenting student, please stop by to pick up free winter coats and accessories for your children! Available while supplies last.

Hosted in collaboration with the UIC Little Sparks Program.

[ID: A rack of winter coats. Next to them are details about the Winter Coat Giveaway.]

Meet Nate Chang Sawyer, CCUSC Community Mental Health Intern!

As the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) community mental health intern, Nate offers different kinds of 1:1 student support including but not limited to:

- mental health/therapeutic support
- connections to resources and mutual aid, and
- advocacy support while navigating institutional barriers and academic ableism.

As a Taiwanese-American graduate student with lived experience of mental illness and psychiatric disability, Nate’s work is centered on collaborating with fellow students to imagine and build structures of collective care inside the university.

There are no costs or session caps. Meetings can be scheduled via email (nsawy@uic.edu) for both in-person and remote. Nate’s office is in 4080 BSB.

[ID: Info about services provided by CCUSC Community Mental Health Intern Nate Chang Sawyer.]

Calling all UIC Undergraduate Students! Registration for Spring 2026 classes is open!

Need to fulfill a general education requirement? Looking for a core course for your major or minor? Interested in a brand new special topics class?

The Gender & Women’s Studies Program has you covered! Check out our engaging slate of courses!

[ID: A list of GWS Spring 2026 courses.]

As the fall semester progresses and many of you and your families are being impacted by the actions of ICE and their abductions, WLRC and the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) want to underline our ongoing support to you all. Remember that there are multiple pillars on campus to help you stay resolute in completing your studies.

As you continue to fight the good fight, know that you are not alone in the urgency you are feeling. Our space is open to study, gather in community, and check in with

staff. We are here to support your academic success through the end of the semester and beyond. We will continue to find courage in our solidarity and community, fight injustice, and build spaces of love and care.

Additional Campus Resources:

[ID: "Persevering through the Semester and Beyond: A message of support for our students" surrounded by monarch butterflies and school supplies, all on a purple background.]

Survivors, we are here for you! Please reach out to the Campus Advocacy Network any time you need support, information, resources, answers, and/or advocacy related to safety, healing, or gender-based violence (sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, stalking, harassment, family abuse).

Our services are free, confidential, and open to all members of the UIC community.

We can help you

We're also here for allies! Please reach out to us if you are in a role where you may need to support survivors on campus (instructors, mentors, advisors, student leaders, friends, or colleagues) or have questions about resources, mandated reporting, and more. 

To connect with an advocate:

[ID: A grey t-shirt with "Someone you love is a survivor" painted on it, and a brown tabletop with a few buttons on it. The buttons have messages including "Take a stand," "Survivor," "Love shouldn't hurt," "Feminist," and "Be a voice."]

If you are a student leader, instructor, or supervisor, please consider inviting CAN to speak to your class through our Don’t Cancel Your Class! program, or request a training for your department, college, student organization, or other campus unit. 

[ID: Three students participating in a dating timeline activity on a tabletop.]

Faculty, please include info about us in your curriculum and syllabus:

"If you have experienced sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, stalking, or harassment, there is help available. The Campus Advocacy Network provides free and confidential services to UIC students, faculty, and staff who have experienced or are experiencing interpersonal violence. 

Pregnant and parenting students are also welcome to contact CAN for resources, information, and support.

If you would like to speak with an advocate, please email CAN at can-appointment@uic.edu, call (312) 413-8206 and leave a voicemail message, text (312) 488-9784, or fill out CAN's Ask An Advocate form online at can.uic.edu/ask. To learn more, visit CAN's website at can.uic.edu."

[ID: A CAN team member standing next to a presentation screen and facilitating a discussion on how to respond to a disclosure of gender-based violence.]

The semester is winding down and winter break will be here soon!

What will you be doing over winter break? What recommendations do you have for your fellow readers? (Books, movies/TV, music, games, activities, and places to check out are all welcome!)

Check back next week for your responses as well as our staff's recommendations!

[ID: "What do you think?" in yellow block letters inside a yellow-orange frame on a purple-blue gradient background.]

UIC Student Affairs: 2026-2027 Scholarships
Apply by January 29
Applications are now available for competitive scholarships that will support undergraduate students across campus colleges and academic disciplines.

UIC United Faculty: Apply for the Student Fast Fund
The UICUF FAST Fund is now taking applications for grants of up to $500 to support students in emergency financial situations. 

UIC IRRPP: Funding Opportunities for Faculty & Grad Students
IRRPP welcomes scholars from all disciplines and especially encourages those from historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

University of Toronto: Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies Postdoctoral Fellowship
Apply by January 5
Applications open for 2026-2027, with the possibility of a one-year renewal, to support emerging scholars pursuing research in queer, trans, and LGBTQ2+ studies.

The Gay & Lesbian Review / Worldwide: Charles S. Longcope Jr. Writers and Artists Grant
Apply by February 15
Awarded to emerging scholars, writers, and artists to write an article for The G&LR and to begin, complete, or advance LGBTQ+ related writing and other creative projects.

Arab American Cultural Center: De-Stress Week of Activities
December 1-5
Relax with movies and different activities in the Diwan, or concentrate on your work or get support from peers and staff in the lounge area.

Asian American Resource and Cultural Center: What's the Tea?
December 8
Join AARCC Student Ambassadors to relax before finals and learn about teas from Asia!

Black Cultural Center: Finals De-Stresser
December 8-11
Stop by for snacks, crafts, and some stress-free holiday vibes! Our lounge space is available for quiet study.

Latino Cultural Center: Fuel Your Studies
December 8-12
Free coffee, snack bags, and study space

Asian American Student Academic Program: Study Hall
December 4
Looking for extra motivation for your end of semester? Learn and practice the Pomodoro studying technique in this facilitated study hall!

Asian American Student Academic Program & Native American Support Program: Winter Wonder Pajama Party
December 4
Students are invited to stop by for warm cocoa, cookie decorating, delicious food, crafty winter activities, and festive movies across both program spaces.

CHANCE: Final Resort
December 8-11
Enjoy some food and relax with your peers or finish some last-minute studying. Also offering free 10-minute massages!

Student Affairs & Library: Flames Finish Strong Events
December 4-12
Annual traditions like Doggypalooza, Late Night Breakfast, and more!

Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence: Ensuring Safety and Access to Services for Immigrant Survivors
Thursday, December 4 | 3pm, Zoom
Join us for a webinar focused on the legal protections and non-discrimination provisions that support service providers working with immigrant survivors of GBV.

UIC Arab American Cultural Center: Call for Submission to Art Showcase: The Ties that Bind
Submit by December 5
Join our art showcase celebrating the power of community. How has your community shaped you? What does belonging mean in your life? All mediums accepted (painting, photography, hand crafts, poetry, etc.)

Futures Without Violence: Addressing Barriers to Healthcare Access for DV Survivors: How new Medicaid work requirements will impact DV survivors and advocates
Friday, December 5 | 12:30pm, Zoom
Learn about the impacts of Medicaid work and community education requirements for healthcare coverage and help shape national guidance for survivor-centered implementation. 

UIC Odehmenan Health Equity Center: Flourishing through Movement Liberation: Salsa Night
Friday, December 5 | 4-8pm, 220 Library of the Health Sciences
The evening will involve a presentation on the history of salsa, a salsa tutorial, and hours of open dancing with a live band and Latin American food.

Between Friends: Free Legal Clinic for Domestic Violence Survivors
Thursday, December 11 | 1-3pm
Domestic violence survivors can meet with volunteer family law attorneys about Orders of Protection, divorce proceedings, child support, child custody, and other family law issues. Call (312) 834-7541 to reserve a time slot.

Generation Hope: Their Stories, Our Call to Action: A National Conversation Elevating Awareness and Meaningful Change for Student Parents
Friday, December 12 | 12:30pm, Zoom
Join us for a national virtual conversation highlighting stories, insights, and ideas that inspire change for student parents and their families.

UIUC 2026 Women’s and Gender History Symposium: Call for Proposals
Apply by Friday, December 12
The Symposium seeks graduate student paper presentations of 12-15 minutes that focus on the relationship between gender, sexuality, and labor throughout history.

Duke University: 2026 Black Feminist Theory Summer Institute
Apply by Monday, December 15
The Duke Department of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies invites applications from graduate students for a five-day Institute focusing on interdisciplinary Black feminist scholarship that attends to crisis. 

UIC Asian American Resource and Cultural Center: Asian American Leadership Certificate
Apply by December 19
Learn leadership skills through an Asian American lens and how to implement a plan of action. 

YWCA Evanston/North Shore: 40-Hour Domestic Violence Training
January 26 - February 6
Comprehensive 40-hour ICDVP training at YWCA Evanston/North Shore covers domestic violence dynamics, legal issues, counseling, and more.

UIC Law Pro Bono Litigation Clinic: Free Name & Gender Marker Changes
Students assist transgender individuals with changing their names and identification documents, prepare necessary court documents, and appear in court on behalf of individuals at hearings. Includes court and document fees.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR): Family Support Network Hotline Internship
Make a real impact by helping connect immigrant families to critical services, such as Legal Assistance, Healthcare Referrals, Public Benefits, and Citizenship and DACA workshops.

CAASE: Upcoming Events
The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) addresses the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation through prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal service.

Resilience: Upcoming Events
Resilience works to end rape culture and empower sexual assault survivors through advocacy, education, and healing.

Check out what's happening at all our sibling centers this week!

Founded as a direct result of campus activism, the UIC Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) work collectively to produce knowledge and shift university culture, validating the multidimensional lived experiences of historically and currently excluded communities.

Informed by social justice frameworks, the Centers support students, faculty, and staff as they build a strong identity and sense of belonging, becoming change agents for a more just campus and society.

The Centers connect our communities and design intercultural and engaged-learning opportunities, student mentorship programs, cultural programming, advocacy, collaborative research, and community partnerships.

Through these efforts, the Centers expand the educational and transformational mission of UIC.

In light of actual and potential threats to our communities, both here at UIC and throughout the Chicago area, it's important to know what our rights are when interacting with immigration and other federal law enforcement officers.

WHAT TO DO

UIC's administration has shared official protocols for such interactions on campus.

If you need assistance or suspect ICE presence anywhere in IL, please call the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Hotline: 1-855-435-7693.

[ID: Details about ICIRR's Family Support Network Hotline: 855-435-7693.]

CAMPUS RESOURCES

UPCOMING TRAININGS & EVENTS

We are here for you and will continue to share resources and information with our campus community.

UIC Women’s Leadership and Resource Center
& Campus Advocacy Network

1700 Student Services Building (MC 363)
1200 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 413-1025 ∙ wlrc@uic.edu ∙ wlrc.uic.edu

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