Good news

Congratulations to all the UIC students who are graduating this semester, and especially to Ashley Moncrief (Business) and Jennifer Clemons (Public Policy). Ashley and Jennifer served as Diversity Community Engagement Program (DCEP) interns for WLRC and have worked closely with the center’s student-parents initiative. We wish them the best of everything as they make their way into the world as college graduates.

Last month, several CCUSC staff members received awards for their outstanding and impactful work in advancing social justice at the university and beyond. One can’t say congratulations enough. At the Employee Recognition Awards event hosted by UIC’s Human Resources, Dr. Rosa Cabrera (Latino Cultural Center) received the Award of Merit which recognizes staff who “exhibit excellence in service, commitment, and dedication”; Dr. Zeina Zaatari (Arab American Cultural Center) received the Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence Award; and Alyson Kung (Asian American Resource and Cultural Center) received the Janice Watkins Award for Distinguished Civil Service. The cultural centers, housed in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, bring a special kind of energy to UIC’s campus life. Recognition of the contributions of centers’ staff tells us that the work is being seen and felt, and that, amidst the ongoing attacks on the centers, we continue to have meaningful impact on the lives of students, staff, and faculty across the institution.

WLRC Tuition Awards

Each year, it gives me great pleasure to announce the recipients of the WLRC Tuition Award (see below). The tuition award is one small way to defray the costs of a UIC education, but it can feel monumental to individual students. To hear undergraduate women students from across the university tell stories of enormous courage, sacrifice, hard work, and challenge that they endure in order to complete their studies at UIC is to understand that access to higher education is still not a guarantee for all. Whether they are the first in their families to attend university, parenting students, undocumented, and/or working fulltime jobs to pay tuition, all of them show commitment to making their families, institution, and larger communities proud.

Holiday fundraisers

The holidays are challenging times for many. For mothers who are in prison, being separated from their children is especially painful at this time of the year. Chicago-based organizations MAMAS (Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity) and MUAVI (Mothers United Against Violence and Incarceration) are teaming up on this year’s toy drive to gather gifts that mothers who are incarcerated can give to their children. You can donate a toy or contact MUAVI to find out how else you can offer support.

Nikki Giovanni

In 2021, UIC’s Black Cultural Center (then African American Cultural Center) organized a Black History Month reading and conversation with poet and writer Nikki Giovanni. The event was a collaboration between the Black cultural centers on the Chicago, Urbana-Champaign, and Springfield campuses. I recall that the event took me back to my own college years, a time when it seemed far more common for students to engage directly with artists, scholars, and intellectuals whose work we read in our elective classes and in the informal reading groups that often paved the way for formalized courses in gender and women’s studies and critical ethnic studies. For those of us on predominantly white college campuses, the presence of these cultural giants provided spiritual nourishment and a reminder that we had what it took to survive the hostile spaces that we often found ourselves in. Nikki Giovanni’s performance at the UIC event, like others I have witnessed, was honest, loving, and determined to touch our hearts. A queer Black woman writer and key figure of the Black Arts Movement who modeled what it means to write in a Black woman’s voice and influenced so many, Nikki Giovanni has left a beautiful legacy that will continue to inspire us for generations to come.

For Saundra (1968)

I wanted to write
a poem
that rhymes
but revolution doesn't lend
itself to be-bopping

then my neighbor
who thinks i hate
asked - do you ever write
tree poems - i like trees
so i thought
i'll write a beautiful green tree poem
peeked from my window
to check the image
noticed that the school yard was covered
with asphalt
no green - no trees grow
in manhattan

then, well, i thought the sky
i'll do a big blue sky poem
but all the clouds have winged
low since no-Dick was elected

so i thought again
and it occurred to me
maybe i shouldn't write
at all
but clean my gun
and check my kerosene supply

perhaps these are not poetic
times
at all

A Journey (from The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni: 1968–1998)

It’s a journey . . . that I propose . . . I am not the guide . . . nor technical assistant . . . I will be your fellow passenger . . .

Though the rail has been ridden . . . winter clouds cover . . . autumn’s exuberant quilt . . . we must provide our own guide-posts . . .

I have heard . . . from previous visitors . . . the road washes out sometimes . . . and passengers are compelled . . . to continue groping . . . or turn back . . . I am not afraid . . .

I am not afraid . . . of rough spots . . . or lonely times . . . I don’t fear . . . the success of this endeavor . . . I am Ra . . . in a space . . . not to be discovered . . . but invented . . .

I promise you nothing . . . I accept your promise . . . of the same we are simply riding . . . a wave . . . that may carry . . . or crash . . .

It’s a journey . . . and I want . . . to go . . .

This is our last newsletter for the semester. We wish you a restful holiday season and hope that we will all return next semester with good health and renewed energies.

Take good care of yourself and each other.
Natalie Bennett

Share your thoughts in our weekly poll!

As the new year begins, the spring semester offers a fresh start, and WLRC is excited to provide initiatives that will support UIC students, staff, and faculty and enrich their campus experience.

With spring approaching, what programs, events, initiatives, or resources would you like WLRC to focus on to better support UIC students, staff, and faculty?

Check back next semester for your responses and a new question!

Last week, we asked, "How are you feeling about finals week? What are your go-to study tips or favorite ways to practice self-care during this busy time?" Here are some of your responses:

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful responses and helpful study tips.

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As we close out fall semester, we want to give a special shout-out to our amazing team at WLRC:

Alonzo, Catherine, Elena, Isabel, Jennifer, Kelly, Natalie, Rachel, Ramona, Twyla, and Vivian!

Congratulations to Jennifer, who has served as a DCEP Intern for two semesters, on her graduation!!

We thank you, our readers, for building community with us and helping make UIC a more just and welcoming environment for all!

[ID: Two photos of WLRC team members posing together and smiling at their year-end celebration at UIC's bowling alley. The photos are framed by small snowflakes. In the background are faded twinkling lights. Text around the photos reads, "Happy Holidays from Our Team at WLRC!" Above and below the text is a bit of dangling snow.]

Every year, WLRC offers financial awards toward tuition for undergraduate study at UIC. The goal of this award is to support the educational pursuits of women students who have a great deal of financial need that is not being met by financial aid or loans.

Click through to view the full list and learn more about some of our wonderful 2024-2025 recipients!

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Monday, December 9 - Friday, December 13
10am - 4pm
WLRC, 1700 SSB, 1200 W. Harrison St.
Audience: Everyone at UIC

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

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WLRC’s office at SSB will be closed December 16, 2024 - January 3, 2025.

Staff will be working remotely and you can reach a CAN Advocate through December 23:

Outside our regular business hours, you can contact a 24-hour hotline anytime to speak with an advocate via phone, text, or online chat. Click above for more details.

We look forward to seeing you when we reopen on January 6. Wishing you a warm holiday season and a happy new year!

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Sign up today to receive an invitation to a student org gathering in early spring semester!

Is your student organization

Become a WLRC Affiliated Student Organization! By partnering with us, WLRC can provide guidance to your e-board, help you with planning, provide opportunities for learning and collaboration, provide meeting space, and promote your activities. 

[ID: Text at the top reads, "Sign up to be a WLRC Affiliated Student Organization." Below that are two people high-fiving with a light bulb above them and text describing ways WLRC can support student organizations.]

Thursday, March 20, 2025
9am - 1pm
SSB Conference Rooms, 1200 W. Harrison St.
Audience: Everyone (open to the public)

From Surviving to Thriving: Cultivating Possibilities for Parenting Students in Illinois

WLRC and campus partners will host a symposium to explore the unique needs and challenges of parenting students by uplifting student stories, presenting current research, identifying best practices, and putting our ideas into action at UIC and campuses statewide.

More details coming this spring!

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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 message, 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. 

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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.]

Our team has put together a list of movies, books, and more for you to enjoy during winter and take a well-deserved break from school.

We've organized them into categories to make it easier for you to find something that suits your interests. We hope you enjoy these recommendations and have a relaxing time off!

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Student Affairs: 2025-2026 Scholarships: Apply by January 28, 2025
Applications are now available for over 30 competitive scholarships for students across colleges and academic disciplines. Log in to the UIC SnAP portal and submit a General Application in the portal before addressing criteria specific to each scholarship.

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!

Graduate College: Weekly Funding Opportunities Newsletter
Check out this weekly list of funding (mostly external) and employment opportunities available to graduate students...and sometimes to recent graduates (to get you thinking long-term). Check out this week's list and be sure to subscribe!

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.

Counseling Center: Mind-Body Programs
Weekly on various days and times | Virtual
The Mind-Body programs are focused on fostering emotional, mental, and physical well-being and strive to take the whole person into account by offering services that promote students’ overall health, resilience, and quality of life.

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.

- Dec 16: WOC Free Support Group
- Dec 17: Male Identified Survivors: Share Your Story Support Group
- Dec 17: Survivor's Book Club: Free Support Group
- Dec 18: Survivorship & Family Estrangement Support Group
- Dec 24: Male Identified Survivors: Share Your Story Support Group
- Dec 24: Survivor's Book Club: Free Support Group
- Dec 25: Survivorship & Family Estrangement Support Group
- Dec 31: Male Identified Survivors: Share Your Story Support Group

CAASE: Surviving the Mic: Virtually Together
Thursday, December 19 | 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.

CAASE: Let's Chat Over Lunch: Community Forum
Tuesday, December 25 | 1-2pm, Virtual
Join CAASE for our monthly virtual community forum, Let’s Chat Over Lunch. At each gathering, we’ll discuss current cultural events, media, and news headlines related to sexual harm and/or social injustice.

Resilience: 40-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training
Jan 6 - Jan 16 | Various Dates & Times, Virtual
Participants obtain foundational knowledge of sexual violence and rape culture and its’ impact on those whom experience this type of victimization. Trainees gain basic crisis intervention skills, explore the neurobiology of trauma and learn how to respond appropriately to disclosures.

Chicago Women's Health Center: Menopause Workshop
Saturday, January 11 | 9:30-12pm, Virtual
During this 2.5-hour workshop, we'll explore research throughout history in order to both challenge misinformation and consider treatment options. During our discussion of care, we'll consider both self-care and community care in order to root ourselves in a feminist approach to menopause.

Chicago Women's Health Center: Four-Part Abortion Companion Training
Jan 11 - Jan 22 | Various Dates & Times, Virtual
The Chicago Women's Health Center invites you to join their very own four-part abortion companion training–while exploring various aspects of reproductive justice and health care access, workshops will build off of each other.

Resilience: Volunteer Medical Advocate Training
Jan 21 - Feb 20 | 5:30-9:30pm, Virtual
Apply by December 23 – Join Resilience as a Volunteer Medical Advocate! Gain training and certification to provide crisis intervention, emotional support, and resources to survivors in hospitals. Build a community of compassionate, social justice-minded individuals.

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.

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UIC Women’s Leadership and Resource Center

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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