An organization designed to unite campus groups that promote diversity, especially women’s issues, held its inaugural event Wednesday, a year after its formation.
Women’s Collaborative Partners, part of the Office of Institutional Inclusion, began in spring 2010 and works to bring clubs with similar goals together, as well as reduce excess spending by these clubs and prevent overlap of similar events. Though WCP is focused promoting women’s issues, it includes clubs that are not exclusively for women.
Rosalind Conerly, coordinator of ASU’s Office of Institutional Inclusion, said the idea to form WCP arose because of a need for more communication and less unnecessary spending, especially with the impending budget cuts to universities.
By: Lia Steinberg
WCP hosted the event, “Making a Difference for Women,” to encourage collaboration among different campus organizations.
“The idea was we can get these groups together and use resources more wisely,” Conerly said. “Bringing all these people together we can reach a larger audience.”
Organizations like the Association for Women in Science, Commission on the Status of Women and Women in Science and Engineering were just a few of the 20 groups that gathered on Hayden Lawn to inform students of the many diversity-oriented clubs on campus.
Communications sophomore Shelby Smith said bringing together various organizations in one place helps get the word out more efficiently.
“It shows that there’s not just one club promoting women’s success,” she said. “There are a bunch of different coalitions coming together for one cause.”
Passing out ice cream and playing music attracted the attention of students and faculty, who could then learn about the deeper issues the event addressed.
Amelia Huggins, chair-elect for the Commission on the Status of Women, said the goal of the event was to raise awareness of the campus services available for students and faculty.
“The goal is to help women and other underrepresented groups on campus,” she said.
Organizations like ASU family resources, LGBTQA Services, Campus Team Environment and Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association are affiliated with WCP.
Along with groups promoting health, science and career services, the event included service-oriented sororities.
Business communications senior Bora Kim said her multi-cultural sorority Omega Phi Chi has been like a second family.
“I’m from South Korea and I’m here by myself,” she said. “We have a really strong sisterhood in the sorority. All of my family is in South Korea, so it feels good to know I have a family here too.”
Another sorority represented was Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority based in public service, said chapter president and biology senior Jazmine Knox.
“We try to promote success for women in everything we do,” she said.
Organizations from all four campuses relayed the message that students have support wherever they are at ASU, Conerly said, however, the event was not exclusive to students.
“You get to network with everyone whether it’s faculty, staff or student,” she said about the benefits of WCP. “ASU is so big that sometimes [events or clubs] get missed or are hidden.”
Conerly said she hopes to see the partnership among organizations grow as more groups collaborate to support women on campus.
Reach the reporter at tafergu1@asu.edu
