Women's Centers Resources

Pioneers of the Field

The first postsecondary women's center was founded in 1960 at the University of Minnesota and the legacy of addressing national issues of gender equity and support continues to expand - despite the increased efforts to dismantle and disappear this work. Our colleagues in campus-based women's, gender, equity centers (WGEC) work tirelessly to "deploy an intersectional lens in their work" and strive to address the historical (and in many ways ongoing) and institutional contexts that challenge the reach of Women's Centers (Bickford, 2019).

These resources are developed by WGEC educators and advocates and we are proud to amplify these materials. We welcome suggestions, feedback, and collaboration as we curate more robust resources for our community members.

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Research and Resources Focused on Women's, Gender, and Equity Centers (WGEC)

Compiled by Amber L. Vlasnik (University of California, San Diego) Developed in 2016.

This bibliography was created in 2004 with several audiences in mind: women's center professionals who were interested in best practices; individuals who wished to contribute to the women's centers' literature; and those interested in learning more about women's centers in U.S. higher education. Over the years, the literature about women's centers has grown, and so has the bibliography, which is updated on an annual basis.

Review the bibliography here.

WRAC-L is a forum for discussion about and sharing of resources regarding issues of significance to Women’s, Gender, and Equity centers. The list is open to the staff and affiliates of WGE centers, whether community-based or associated with schools, colleges or universities.

To subscribe, email wracl+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

Alexander, Ann Marie and McKendry, Jean (2023) "The Status of Women's and Gender Centers at Public Research Universities," Journal for Women and Gender Centers in Higher Education: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 1.

This research examined women’s and gender centers at land-grant universities classified as Carnegie R1 institutions in the United States that were also APLU and AAU member institutions. The purpose of the inquiry was to understand how descriptive information about commonalities and standard practices among existing women’s and gender centers at these types of higher education institutions could be compiled from publicly available information and analyzed for use towards establishing support for new centers. Sixteen data points were collected from a final sample consisting of 12 centers that met the research criteria. These women’s and gender centers provided programs, services, referrals, and resources for students, faculty, and staff. All but one of the centers included all genders, half addressed the inclusion of individuals from all races, ethnicities, and the majority engaged with other multi-cultural organizations. The centers were primarily managed by the divisions of Student Affairs, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. All of the centers were separate entities from the universities’ Title IX offices. Common practices maintained by the centers included having dedicated space on campus, providing annual reports, employing professional and student staff, and publicizing programming, resources, and events. These centers are vital to creating inclusive campus communities.