On the one hand, the spring academic semester has been off to a great start, with innovative programming that soothes, affirms, and challenges us to grow, connect with and to see each other in new ways. Most recently, William Estrada of the Department of Art Education (CADA) has begun a collaboration with the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change (CCUSC) that is taking the form of a campuswide art project that we call UIC Manifest! With the support of UIC’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, members of the UIC community will be able to share their ideas about how we can create safe and loving communities at UIC, name the policies and practices that make that difficult to accomplish, and dream together about how we can build the communities that we need to thrive. Stay tuned for more about UIC Manifest!

On the other hand, we are being reminded of all the work that is still left to do. Just last week, the campus received a news alert that a young woman had been shot and killed in one of the parking structures on the UI Health campus. The bulletin also stated that the situation did not pose a threat to the campus community. That line gave me pause. Certainly, the person who took the life of Shawnquanice Kimbrough while her newborn child was in the car may have targeted her and her alone in that moment. But the threat of this violence happening to others has not disappeared, certainly not for survivors who are clinging to the hope offered by orders of protection issued by the courts. We know that, for Black women, gun violence and domestic violence are intimately linked. That is to say, Black women in the U.S. are far more likely to be killed with a gun in a domestic violence situation than any other group of women. We also know that Black women are quite vulnerable to intimate partner violence when they are pregnant and after they have children.

For the women who are dealing with domestic violence, and who work and attend classes at UI Health and UIC, this tragic incident may be particularly triggering because it exposes another way in which they are vulnerable to more violence. Driving to work and finding a convenient place to park is not a simple matter for survivors at all. Yes, parking structures perform a specific function and convenience, but they are also a site of vulnerability. If the perpetrators know this, then we should also take note. Many survivors have intimate knowledge of being followed to and accosted in parking lots; some have even been killed there. The murders of Tamara O’Neal in a parking lot at Mercy Hospital in 2018 and Ruth George in a UIC parking structure in 2019 are stark reminders of this reality. Survivors are already hyperaware of their surroundings. However, they don’t have much control over what will happen to them in those spaces once they have been targeted. And that’s the problem.

What is difficult to confront is that more police patrols, better lighting, more accessible security features, and parking lots located closer to buildings do not magically make survivors safer. These features are bandaids on a structural sore, one that normalizes violence, and then blames survivors for not being aware enough of their surroundings or taking sufficient action to prevent more harm. One where survivors are expected to contort their lives to fit into the increasingly small and confining spaces to which they have been relegated because so many of our communities, families, and institutions - churches, spaces of leisure, workplaces - do not take domestic violence seriously in the first place.

What more can UIC and UI Health do to protect and empower survivors who interact with these institutions for work, study and health reasons? There is plenty. 

Read the rest of the note here...

Thursday, February 12 - TODAY!
2-4pm | Latino Cultural Center
Audience: Everyone (open to the public)

This Valentine’s Day, join us to create protest art to stand in solidarity with Chicago’s im/migrant communities!

Bring an old poster to repurpose or create a new one. Art supplies will be provided while they last.

[ID: Multiple hands cutting, drawing, and painting on white cards that together form a heart shape. Smaller hearts in various colors are scattered around them. Below that are details about the Stronger Together event, all on a red background.]

Tuesday, February 17
12:30-2pm | 1-470 Daley Library
Audience: UIC Students (all levels)

Join us for a lively discussion on citational justice with Kristyn Caragher, Assistant Professor and Engineering Librarian. We'll explore what citational justice is, why it matters for our sense of belonging, and how we can use practical strategies and tools to promote inclusive citation practices, especially centering women and nonbinary scholars of color in our research. Lunch provided!

[ID: A headshot of Kristyn Caragher next to details about the PERSIST(Σ) Citation Justice Workshop (same info on this page). At the top is the PERSIST(Σ) logo, a stylized gear with a flower in the center, and a person writing in a notebook in the background.]

Choose from dates in late Feb/early Mar
1700 Student Services Building
Audience: UIC Students (all levels)

UIC Students! You are a huge part of what makes the Women's Leadership and Resource Center and Campus Advocacy Network successful. We want to hear from you!

Whether you're familiar with our center or are hearing about us for the first time, come tell us how we can improve WLRC/CAN!

Food and thank you gifts provided!

[ID: "Focus Group" in large purple letters with students engaged in various school-related activities in and around some of the letters. Below that are details about the WLRC Focus Groups.]

Wednesday, February 18 | 1:30-3pm
Wednesday, March 18 | 11am - 12:30pm
Monday, April 6 | 12-1:30pm
Latino Cultural Center
Audience: Everyone (open to the public)

Join us for some hands-on gardening and learn how Heritage Garden interns are connecting horticulture with environmental sustainability, cultural diversity, and social justice. 

[ID: Two photos of Heritage Garden interns tending to gardens at UIC, surrounded by info about the Heritage Garden internship.]

Apply by March 1
Audience: UIC Undergraduate Students

The Heritage Garden is a student-led, hands-on paid internship program exploring environmental, climate, and social justice through an intercultural lens. DACA & RISE Act eligible students encouraged to apply!

Internship dates: May 26 - August 14
Schedule: Mon - Fri, 10am - 2pm
Stipend: ~ $3,900

Info Session: Tue, Feb. 17, 2-3pm, on @uiclascareer IG

[ID: Three photos of Heritage Garden interns tending to gardens at UIC, surrounded by info about the Heritage Garden internship.]

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.]

As the academic year 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.

To connect with an advocate:

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. 

[ID: A grey t-shirt with "Someone you love is a survivor" painted on it in red and white. Red and black hearts are scattered around the words.]

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.]

UIC Graduate College: Summer Research Opportunities Program for Undergraduates
Apply by February 13
Supports students interested in research across disciplines by providing a structured summer experience that includes faculty mentorship and exposure to graduate education.

UIC Vice Chancellor for Engagement: Apply for the Student Advisory Council
Apply by February 14
OVCE is establishing a council to ensure student voices inform initiatives and programming that foster collaboration, cultural understanding, and social impact.

Governor of Illinois: James H. Dunn, Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Apply by February 15
Offers 15-20 recent graduates the opportunity to spend a year working full-time within the Illinois Office of the Governor.

UIC Asian American Resource and Cultural Center: Become an AAMP Mentor
Apply by February 20 | Info Sessions February 9-13
AAMP is designed to ease the transition of new students to UIC during their first semester. Activities include social activities, academic and cultural workshops, as well as virtual group hangouts.

Equal Pay Coalition: Barb Yong Equal Pay Scholarship
Apply by March 2
Supports Chicago college students dedicated to advancing social justice and addressing gender equity, racial justice, education access, and workers' rights.

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 Black History Month
February 1-28
The BHM Student Planning Committee invites you to participate in this year’s celebrations honoring the theme "Stories of Our Resistance and Resilience."

me too. Movement: The Healing Journey: Touching Earth
Friday, February 20 | 11am, Zoom
This session will explore the connection between environmental justice and our collective healing and explore earth-based healing practices.

UIC Social Justice Initiative: Still Searching Documentary Screening
Wednesday, February 25 | 6-8:30pm, 1344 S. Halsted
View a special editor's cut of a documentary about Chicago’s missing Black women and girls, followed by a panel discussion.

Feminist Majority Foundation: National Young Feminist Leadership Conference
March 28-30, Arlington, VA
NYFLC is a weekend of learning, organizing, and community-building with truly extraordinary feminists; from long-time movement leaders to emerging student organizers.

Healing to Action: Apply for Healing Generations Leadership Program
Apply by March 31
Designed by and for survivors, Healing Generations is an 8-week program where participants learn about gender-based violence and related topics while also building skills to organize against gender-based violence as a community.

UIC Women in Engineering Programs: Women in Engineering Summer Program
June 13 - July 8 | Apply by April 4
WIESP is a free program that offers 11th- & 12th-grade students an opportunity to learn about engineering through hands-on projects and corporate partner visits. 

UIC Counseling Center: Parenting Student Support Group
Thursdays | 12-1pm, Hybrid
Come as you are to connect, share experiences, and receive support from your peers. This support group is open to any UIC student who is a parent or caregiver in any way.

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.

UIC Library: Upcoming Events
Check out events from the Undergraduate Engagement Program and other departments within the university library!

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

Subscribe:
Did someone forward you this newsletter? Please subscribe to ensure you receive future updates!

Missed a newsletter?
Visit our archive to read recent weekly digests.