Budgets cuts and poor planning led to the discontinuation of the Men’s Program and the move of Jessica Heskin, advocate and educator of Violence and Sexual Assault Support Services, to a new office location at the Student Health Center.

Pat Grady, director of the Women’s Resource Center, said the changes were a result of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget cuts. The WRC is funded from the university’s general fund, which is affected when the governor makes a cut to the state budget.

“In hard budget times you have to make hard budget decisions,” Grady said.

Manuel Lopez, Men’s Program coordinator, has become an admissions counselor. Lopez was unable to be reached for comment.

The Men’s Program was started a little over one year ago and was headed by Lopez to get men committed to helping end violence against women.

Last year, Lopez organized Walk A Mile In Her Shoes Day, an event where men walked around campus in high heels. White Ribbon Campaign week was also held last fall where men wore white ribbons and signed a pledge to support ending violence against women.

Edward Jones, associate vice president for Student Affairs, said the Men’s Program was funded through health services but housed in the WRC.

Jones said the program was going to be moved to the Recreation and Wellness Center by 2010, but that the new director of health services was unaware she was funding the Men’s Program and did not incorporate it into her strategic plan.

Jones said the director was unaware of the funding because she was new.

Jones said there was a structural deficit in the WRC, meaning the department was spending more money than allocated. Because Heskin has been moved, the allocation and expenses of the WRC now match, Jones said.

Jones originally said the reason for Heskin’s office move was because it made more sense.

“There are survivors from a sexual assault who obviously have health needs and that’s human health services, and you also have psych services which is in the same area,” Jones said. “All three of those things are coming together in one place.”

Grady said moving Heskin’s program to the health center opens up more money in the general fund for use elsewhere. She said the program is on more stable ground because auxiliary-status programs fund it and it is less susceptible to change because of the governor’s budget.

Heskin said she is sad to leave the WRC after eight years, but that it makes sense for her to be in a location where she often refers or meets clients.

“I’m right next to psych services now and I do a lot of referrals there. The health services probably page me more than anybody else on campus so it makes more sense,” she said.

Heskin also shares an office with Cyndra Krogen who, along with Heskin, does an internship program for peer health educators.

The Student Health Center has been accommodating since it and Heskin were suddenly informed two to three weeks ago of the move.

“They’ve really moved mountains to give me a private office and access to privacy for my clients. They really have pulled out all the stops for that, and I really want to express my appreciation for them,” Heskin said. “It’s not like my job is the kind you can put in a cubicle, and the health center really understood that.”

Grady said she is sad on a personal level to see Heskin relocate.

“We’ve worked together for a number of years now, seven or eight years, so that’s kind of like the sad part. On a personal level, she was a great colleague and collaborator and it’s been wonderful working with her all those years. The program did not exist before we hired Jessica,” Grady said.

Grady said the program was originally called Rape Prevention and was based out of the Student Health Center. Student Affairs eventually took over the program and funded it entirely because the Student Health Center didn’t have the resources to develop the program at the time.

Grady said it is ironic that the program came from and is going back to the Student Health Center. She said it is important that the program remains intact and provides help to male and female victim-survivors of violence.

The program was primarily an education and outreach program, and the Women’s Resource Center added advocacy when Heskin was hired.

Grady said advocacy is important to keep student victims and survivors continuing their education and getting help from on and off-campus services.

Heskin can be reached for advocacy services at (916) 278-3799.

Ashley Downton can be reached at [email protected]