Abstract
Statement of the Problem:
There is a lack of Women’s Resource Centers in community college campuses. California has 116 community colleges, yet only three of these community colleges have Women’s Resource Centers, none in the Sacramento region. The project's goal was to develop a proposal for the creation of a Women’s Resource Center at American River College (ARC) and to begin the initial steps of its creation.
Colleges and Universities may often recognize that sexism is still prevalent and support women’s resource centers on campus which aim to promote empowerment and self-advocacy for women. However, only three community colleges in California have women’s resource centers (CCCCO, 2025b; City College of San Francisco, San Diego College, Santa Monica College). The lack of support services geared specifically for women means that, in community colleges, the female identified population is being underserved and unsupported in their educational efforts. The creation of the center would mark the first women’s resource center for a community college in the Sacramento region and create change that will positively impact the female student population at community colleges.
Purpose of the Project:
Community colleges and universities consistently show their student population to be over 50% female. Increased representation of female students does not necessarily mean equity (Goettsch et al., 2019). From sexual violence to underfunding in athletics, women still experience unequal treatment in college campuses (Bethman et al., 2019; Goettsch et al., 2019; Wilson, 2022). The Women’s Resource Center the researcher is proposing for ARC is one that will be responsive to the unique needs of women holistically and academically. The proposed WRC will provide a safe place for female students to feel supported in their college journey.
Project Description:
This project provides American River College a proposal for the creation of a Women’s Resource Center. The project includes research and background on the inequities in education women still face in academia. The project outlines a detailed budget, staff needs, and activities programming to get the new center started. Twelve evaluators provided positive feedback and supported the creation of a Women’s Resource Center at a community college in the Sacramento region. All evaluators looked at the project as a call to action to advance gender equity in community colleges.
The proposed WRC will provide a safe place for female students to feel supported in their college journey. The center will allow female community college students to discover their strength, to explore leadership opportunities, and to find community, and lastly, the center will provide a brave space for women to find support in areas of sexual violence, healthy relationships, creativity, and wellness.