Dear UIC Flames and our larger community,

It's been a challenging (for many reasons) but great semester. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiastic participation in our WLRC and CAN programs.

We wish all the students finishing final exams, papers, and projects this week the best of luck!

Congratulations to WLRC team member Rachel Barron, who started last year as a DCEP intern and stayed with us this year as a communications assistant, working diligently to bring you this newsletter every week! Rachel is an honors student graduating with a double major in psychology and criminology, law, and justice and a double minor in sociology and law and society. Among her many contributions to UIC, she is also the outgoing president of Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority. Thank you for everything, Rachel! We will miss you!

Stay tuned: We'll continue to post on our Instagram over the summer, including 2025-2026 student job opportunities and photo recaps of all the wonderful things we've done together this year. Our newsletter will be back in early fall.

Wishing you a restful and joy-filled summer,

The WLRC Team

[ID: The WLRC team smiling for a group photo.]

Monday, May 5 | 1-3pm &
Wednesday, May 7 | 1:30-3pm
Student Center East Concourse

Study Space:
Monday, May 5 - Friday, May 9 | 10am - 4pm
1700 SSB
Audience: UIC Students

Stop by our table at SCE to pick up some finals goodies! You can also study and relax at the center all week. You got this, Flames! We believe in you!

[ID: "Finals Week Pick-Me-Up" in large orange and purple text with notebooks, a pencil, and grid paper around it.]

Wednesday, May 7 | 12-1pm
1700 SSB & Zoom
Audience: UIC Students

Join us to celebrate survivors' accomplishments, big and small! We will honor graduating students and recognize the ways that we have survived and thrived this year.

HEALS is a drop-in gathering space for UIC students who have experienced gender-based violence (domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, and family abuse) and those who support them. Over lunch and crafts, we will check in, celebrate wins, troubleshoot challenges, and discuss issues related to safety & healing.

[ID: "HEALS: Healing for Engagement, Action, & Leadership by Survivors" in white text over a purple background, with flames rising from the bottom center.]

UIC symposium highlights the challenges and triumphs of parenting students

The UIC Office of Equity and Diversity recently shared a news story recapping From Surviving to Thriving: Cultivating Possibilities for Parenting Students in Illinois, a symposium hosted by WLRC and campus partners on March 20, 2025.

"The seminar sparked conversations about how difficult and exhausting it is for parenting students to juggle their caregiving and academic obligations, along with the financial strain and hard choices surrounding cost of tuition, childcare and housing. Attendees also brought attention to a shortage of institutional assistance by recounting instances of administrative and academic disinterest.

One attendee recalled: 'I’m listening to y’all, and I’m remembering things I didn’t even get to feel because I just had to keep going.'”

Read the full story!

[ID: A panel of four speakers at the From Surviving to Thriving symposium.]

Whether you're working, graduating, or taking some time off, our team has put together a list of movies, books, and more to enjoy throughout the season!

We've organized them into categories so you can easily find something that matches your interests. We hope these recommendations add some fun, inspiration, or relaxation to your summer!

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).

We can connect in person at WLRC or via Zoom, phone, text, or email. Our services are free, confidential, and open to all members of the UIC community.

We can help you build a safety plan, connect with resources (like mental health support or legal assistance), process your experiences, and stay informed about your rights and options. We can assist you as you navigate processes like requesting academic accommodations, communicating with Financial Aid and the Registrar's Office, filing a report with the Office of Access and Equity, and/or petitioning for an Order of Protection, depending on your needs.

We are here not only for survivors and those facing gender-based violence, but also for those in roles where there may be a need to support survivors on campus, such as instructors, mentors, advisors, student leaders, friends, or colleagues.

To connect with an advocate:
- Call: (312) 413-8206
- Text: (312) 488-9784
- Email: can-appointment@uic.edu
- Submit an Ask an Advocate form

[ID: Four members of Mujeres en Medicina, smiling, hold a section of clothesline from WLRC's Clothesline Project, where t-shirts tell the stories of surviving violence or offer messages of support, such as "Women owe you nothing," "You are loved," and "I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become!"]

Everyone at UIC has a role to play in preventing violence and supporting survivors in our community. 

If you are an ally supporting a survivor in your life (whether that is a friend, family member, student, or employee), contact us to discuss questions around advocating for survivors, campus and community resources, mandated reporting, and more.

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: A coffee cup, paper, paper clips, buttons, and pencils scattered around text about the Don't Cancel Your Class program, all on a teal background.]

If you are teaching, please share information about CAN during class and in your 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: The text of the CAN Syllabus Statement in dark blue on a white background, with a teal green border.]

Finals Study Spaces
Monday, May 5 - Friday, May 9
All the Cultural Centers will be hosting quiet spaces for studying, relaxing activities, and snacks! Please stop by!

Disability Cultural Center: Slow Breath & Stretch
Tuesday, May 6 | 3:00-4:30pm, BSB 231
Join for a 90-minute, body positive, accessible movement session led by Rise of Riotous Roots. Think contemporary dance meets non-commercialized restorative yoga!

Disability Cultural Center: Are You Graduating? We want to celebrate you!
Tell us you're graduating, & with your permission, we'll feature you on our networks. Pick up a Disability Pride Graduation Cord & a gift bag, open to anyone who supports our mission! Please fill out our form by Tuesday, May 6.

About the UIC Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC): Founded as a direct result of campus activism, the 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.

[ID: The above statement about who the UIC Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change are, on a purple background.]

In light of 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 law enforcement officers.

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

UIC's Rigo Padilla Pérez Undocumented Student Resource Center provides a comprehensive set of resources you can use on campus and in the community, including printable cards in multiple languages. They can also provide Know Your Rights trainings by request.

For more detailed info, check out this presentation from Sanctuary for All UIC, a collective of students, faculty, and staff imagining a sanctuary for all at UIC.

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

[ID: A two-page flyer with Know Your Rights info from ICIRR, which is available on its website.]

Office of Student Success and Belonging: Black Excellence Graduation Ceremony
Saturday, May 10 | 4:30pm, Dorin Forum
Join us to celebrate graduates from colleges spanning undergraduate, graduate, and degree programs, in one place on the same day.

IRRPP: Faculty & Grad Student WriteOut! Retreats
Various May & July dates
We invite current UIC faculty members, B2F scholars, postdocs, staff members, or doctoral students from all disciplines who are studying race and ethnicity and would like writing support to participate.

Gender & Women's Studies: Summer & Fall 2025 Course Offerings
Explore GWS and Social Justice courses for Fall and Summer 2025! The flyer on their website includes course descriptions, dates, and times. 

Black Studies: Summer & Fall 2025 Course Offerings
Explore BLST courses for Fall and Summer 2025!

Global Asian Studies: Summer & Fall 2025 Course Offerings
Explore GLAS courses for Fall and Summer 2025!

Latin American & Latino Studies: Fall 2025 Course Offerings
Explore LALS courses for Fall 2025!

Black Studies & Gender and Women's Studies: Open Study Hours
MTWTh | 1-5pm, 1250 UH
Come connect with fellow students, study together, and build community.
Tea, coffee, and snacks will be available. Drop in whenever it fits your schedule! 

Office of the Dean of Students: U&I Care Meals
Click above to access emergency meal assistance through the U&I Care Meals Program! Limited meals are available each term for UIC students facing urgent food insecurity.

Commuter and Off-Campus Life: Upcoming Events
Click above for exciting events, resources, and opportunities designed for UIC commuter and off-campus students!

Career Services: Upcoming Events
Click above for career prep workshops, career fairs, and more!

Daley Library: Upcoming Events
Click above for fun and engaging events for UIC students!

Counseling Center: Upcoming Events
Click above for popular workshops, peer-support groups, drop-in groups, and other events!

Little Sparks Program: Services and Opportunities for Student-Parents
The Little Sparks Program supports student-parents as they complete their education by providing childcare funding and wrap-around support. They offer things like child care; tuition assistance; diapers, wipes, and formula; student-parent network & events; and community resources.

Resilience: Upcoming Events
Resilience is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the healing and empowerment of sexual assault survivors through non-judgmental crisis intervention counseling, individual and group trauma therapy, and medical and legal advocacy in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Resilience provides public education and institutional advocacy in order to improve the treatment of sexual assault survivors and to effect positive change in policies and public attitudes toward sexual assault.

- May 5: Survivor's Book Club
- May 5: Women of Color Support Group
- May 6: Survivor's Book Club: Free Support Group

Chicago Women's Health Center: Pelvic Self-Exam Workshop
Monday, May 12 | 6:00-7:30pm, Virtual
This 90-minute workshop will cover the pelvic floor, the Pelvic Self Exam movement, exam best practices, and biases in pelvic health.

Chicago's Women's Health Center: Know Your Rights Training and Q&A on Access to Gender-Affirming Care
Wednesday, May 21 | 5:30-7:30pm, Virtual
Please join CWHC for a training and Q&A hosted by our partners at Legal Council for Health Justice. The training will include a discussion of federal attacks on gender affirming care, Illinois state law protections, & safety planning for continued access to care. 

CAASE: Surviving the Mic: Virtually Together
Thursday, May 15 | 3-5pm, Virtual
Surviving the Mic: Virtually Together is an online gathering space for survivors of sexual harm and those who support them, either personally or professionally or both.

KAN-WIN: Youth Peer Advocate Leadership (YPAL) Program: Apply by May 26!
June 9 - July 22
YPAL is a program for high school aged people to receive in-depth training on issues of gender-based violence, be in conversation with other young people interested in combating gender-based violence, and explore ways to contribute to the anti-violence movement. 

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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