Parm Phagura, senior ethnic studies major, needed several books for a women’s studies class, but couldn’t find them in the library. One of her teachers told her about the Women’s Resource Center and the books and services it offers.

Phagura was thrilled to find this resource and vowed to give back to the center. With a sizable gap between her classes, Phagura had the perfect amount of time to volunteer.

“It’s been really helpful because I meet a lot of people. I also learn while I get paid and it helps me with my major,” Phagura said.

She said the center offered her a place to relax.

“The center is a good, dependable resource for students. It offers many things like a quiet space to do homework, an accessible library, computers, printers and a place to heat food during breaks,” she said.

Because of budget cuts, Women’s Resource Center Director Patricia Grady is the only full-time paid staff member for the 2008-09 academic year.

Also due to little funding, the Violence and Sexual Assault Support Services and One Man Can programs have since moved to the Student Health Center.

Grady said the center continues to stand strong during hard economic times because of student support.

“We are sad to lose the Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Program because I developed it when I came 10 years ago, but I’m glad they have their own place at the health center where they still provide their services,” Grady said.

Before the center moved, it shared a space with the Multi-Cultural Center in the Library Breezeway. Since the move in July 2008, there have been fewer visitors to the Lassen Hall office on the third floor.

“The center is open to anyone who wants to come and enjoy a cup of tea, use our two computers…or to just hang out,” Grady said.

Grady said the center offers a library for students, which contains 3,000 circulating volumes on womens’ issues and ethnic studies.

“When I go out to talk to students…I let them know the center is a good resource to start working on a research paper if it is about gender issues or women’s issues, since we have a lot of different categories,” Grady said.

Roxana Rodriguez, senior psychology major, has been visiting the center for more than two years.

Rodriguez said she finds the center to be a non-judgmental place. She also finds services, such as the lactation station for women with infants, to be helpful.

Violence and Sexual Assault Support Services Coordinator Jessica Heskin was one of the many people who worked at the center before it moved.

Heskin said Grady established the program in 2000. Prior to that, there were no sexual assault services, intimate partner violence or stalking and hate crime advocacy services on campus.

“Thanks to her, we now have one of the best programs in the CSU system, and we are the only CSU with a sexual misconduct policy, which is amazing. Without the centers’ efforts and continued support, my program could not function as effectively as it does,” Heskin said.

While working at the center, Heskin said she learned a lot about creating and running a comprehensive program for a large campus. She also learned about networking and collaboration in order to get services for victims, as well as funding for other programs.

“All that I do now, I learned while working at the Women’s Resource Center,” Heskin said.

Karina Yepez can be reached at [email protected].