From today's Technician:
""The [NCSU] Women's Center is not a safe place to send people..."

WTF is going on at the NCSU Women's Center?

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/the-women-s-center-loses-its-edge-according-to-some-1.2753197#.UDzoaKN-1TY

Quote :

" With a harsh letter of resignation from a former staff member in May, the future leadership of the Women's Center came into question. Now, it seems the same issues are being brought up and several key people are shedding light on what they call the center’s demise. The Women’s Center has historically played a big part in helping survivors of sexual or violent relationships find the help they need through counseling, a 24/7 hotline and more. However, the center’s role has started to change, according to some. “The Women’s Center is not a safe place to send people,” LaSonya Harris, a senior in sociology, said. According to Harris, the Women’s Center was once a place where survivors could turn to for help. They had a 24/7 hotline called the Relationship and Sexual Violence Phone Line (RSVP) and were very knowledgeable of both on- and off-campus services for survivors of Relationship and Sexual violence. Michelle Clayton, also a senior in sociology, agreed with Harris that this is no longer the case. “The Women’s Center has been going downhill for about a year now,” Clayton said. Clayton and Harris are co-presidents of a student group called The Movement, a group of male and female students who are trained via a semester-long class to give workshops for the prevention of interpersonal violence. “The goal of The Movement is to end interpersonal violence,” Olivia Desormeaux, a recent alumni of N.C. State and The Movement, said. “But The Movement, which is funded by the Women’s Center, has found it hard to achieve this goal.” The Women’s Center can often be found closed during normal business hours with sign that says to call the RSVP Hotline for emergencies, Clayton said. “The RSVP Hotline doesn’t start until 5 p.m., so if someone were to call during normal business hours they wouldn’t get help,” Clayton said. In recent months, several of the Women’s Center’s employees have either resigned or been fired. Many, including Juliette Grimmet, former assistant director of interpersonal violence (IPV) services, have spoken out about the way the Women’s Center has been managed under the new director, Ashley Simons-Rudolph. Certain Women’s Center staffers accuse Simons-Rudolph of bullying. Furthermore, some are still upset that Simons-Rudolph allegedly told a former employee not to renew a grant given by the Department of Justice that helped to fund IPV prevention on campus. Simons-Rudolph allegedly told The Movement if they spoke out, she would cut their funding. “We aren’t trying to cause trouble, we just want to help the survivors get the help they need,” Harris said. The Movement’s end goal is to end sexual and relationship violence, and this is a goal it wants to see accomplished. “I feel that Chancellor Woodson and Vice Provost Woodard need to step up and do something. If they care about the students at all, then these problems need to be addressed,” Clayton said."

Related Article: http://www.technicianonline.com/news/women-s-center-resignation-leaves-accusations-unanswered-1.2742429#.UDzpUqN-1TY

8/28/2012 11:54:06 AM

Quote :

"“The goal of The Movement is to end interpersonal violence,” Olivia Desormeaux, a recent alumni of N.C. State and The Movement, said. “But The Movement, which is funded by the Women’s Center, has found it hard to achieve this goal.”"

really, you don't say?

8/28/2012 11:57:07 AM

lol at people that think they can make drug use, domestic violence, crime, etc. completely disappear. no chance.

8/28/2012 12:00:57 PM

Interpersonal violence? Sounds like some made up term so a freshman in sociology can sound smart.

Quote :

"Certain Women’s Center staffers accuse Simons-Rudolph of bullying. Furthermore, some are still upset that Simons-Rudolph allegedly told a former employee not to renew a grant given by the Department of Justice that helped to fund IPV prevention on campus."

Interesting. I'd like to learn more about this bullying. Also I can't believe that a director would purposefully allow a lapse in grant money and not immediately have their job put on the line

8/28/2012 12:05:59 PM

Quote :

"lol at people that think they can make drug use, domestic violence, crime, etc. completely disappear. no chance."

So...let's stop trying to prevent it?

WELL PEOPLE GONNA SHOOT EACH OTHER NO USE HAVIN JAIL HURP DURP IM A COLLEGE KID

if you think drug use (victimless) and violence are like each other anyway, you're retarded.

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 12:19 PM. Reason : x]

8/28/2012 12:18:18 PM

boom, here the ASSt. Directors resignation letter

http://www.scribd.com/doc/95376775/Final-Resignation-Letter-5-29-12

8/28/2012 12:18:42 PM

^^shut the fuck up, troll. i didn't say any of that.

8/28/2012 12:23:25 PM

I like the idea of giving chicks a place to crash when their dude is on a drunken rampage or is actively seeking vengance . and also giving comfort and healing to those women who have suffered and need people who they can trust implicitly and confidentially .

what I dont get are these seminars and protests and preaching gigs they're constantly harping on about.

women are going to get their asses beat no matter how much you educate them on how wrong it is.
and men are just incensed and insulted by the illustration of them being both murderers in waiting and weak enough to be swayed by the dismissive words of some "almost raped" sour faced fattie wearing an organic shower curtain covered in rainbow bumper stickers.

Isn't the ULTIMATE GOAL of these outreach programs to reduce the number and severity of the abuse women suffer?
I'm guessing a big "YES" is the answer.
Then they should be practical, no?

HOw about they teach women how to avoid getting their faces swelled up by educating them about the merits of shutting the fuck up when things are getting dicey and quit inciting physical altercations with the mindset that "He wouldn't DARE hit me! I'm a WOMAN"
If your stated goal is to avoid visits to the hospital, then fuck the idealists who are going fill their pants with the shit of offended sensibilities about tinfoil hat ideas of "blaming the victims"
If you really want to reach a goal, you have to wade through that kind of bullshit and carry on.
Good luck, my sisters

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 12:25 PM. Reason : a]

8/28/2012 12:23:36 PM

oh this will end well.

8/28/2012 12:31:42 PM

fermat rules #1

8/28/2012 12:35:11 PM

does tww have enough user base to make this a lively discussion?

iop1

8/28/2012 12:44:09 PM

^4

CLAP
CLAP CLAP
CLAP CLAP CLAP
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP

8/28/2012 12:50:56 PM

What I want to know: If the Women's Center losing staff because of the behavior of their director, and the leaving staff says the utility and effectiveness of the center is being negatively impacted by the same, why hasn't someone higher up in the University stepped in to investigate? Or maybe they already have. If so, I'm curious as to what they found because this is turning into a PR problem for the University and it looks like the University is neglecting services provided to students partially at the students' expense. Someone at NCSU needs to stop dragging their feet and do their job.

8/28/2012 12:52:46 PM

iop1

someone send this link to the author for some real entertainment.

8/28/2012 12:53:56 PM

Sounds to me like the new Director is actually making the feminists work for a living and they don't like it. I : honestly dont understand why we waste money on a woman's center and a lgbt center when all they do is duplicate services offered in the counseling center.

8/28/2012 1:06:01 PM

Quote :

"boom, here the ASSt. Directors resignation letter http://www.scribd.com/doc/95376775/Final-Resignation-Letter-5-29-12"

That made for an interesting read. Sounds a lot like a situation a friend of mine is currently dealing with in his workplace. His department has a shitty ass manager, everyone acknowledges she's a shitty ass manager even the upper management, they have week long meetings about the shittiness of said manager, and then are told, "Well we're not going to do anything about your shitty manager just suck it up and keep doing your job." Four people quit within a week of that final meeting

8/28/2012 1:07:26 PM

It aint a rest haven

8/28/2012 1:11:37 PM

She writes that letter to Ashley but talks about her like she isn't on the distribution.

8/28/2012 1:22:01 PM

Has the administration released any sort of statement about this yet?

8/28/2012 1:27:11 PM

Do men have to use the womens center as a DV shelter or do they have their own place?

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 2:19 PM. Reason : ]

8/28/2012 2:18:48 PM

Quote :

"lol at people that think they can make drug use, domestic violence, crime, etc. completely disappear. no chance."

Lol at people who take rhetorical goals literally.

8/28/2012 2:31:41 PM

Quote :

"HOw about they teach women how to avoid getting their faces swelled up by educating them about the merits of shutting the fuck up when things are getting dicey and quit inciting physical altercations with the mindset that "He wouldn't DARE hit me! I'm a WOMAN""

hahaha this guy. you clearly don't know anything about domestic violence and probably should listen to one of the seminars these people are organizing

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 2:49 PM. Reason : .]

8/28/2012 2:48:11 PM

maybe not, but that is how women behave.

you cant act like that is not true in the least, women do use that to their advantage, they just dont realize that there are chicken shits that will go upside their heads...or they think their man would never do a thing like that.



[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 2:50 PM. Reason : j]

8/28/2012 2:50:16 PM

Or, you know, there's the raging asshole who likes to beat on people because he's a bully and doesn't need any real provocation. We've all met that guy at some point in our lives.

8/28/2012 2:56:14 PM

Quote :

"quit inciting physical altercations with the mindset that "He wouldn't DARE hit me! I'm a WOMAN"""

This shit happens quite a bit. That's what makes this video and the .gif of it so perversely gratifying:


http://dammitwheeler.com/girl-beer-throw-legsweep/

8/28/2012 2:56:17 PM

"provocation" is in the eye of the beholder


men have to learn the concept of "vascular restraint"

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 3:03 PM. Reason : r]

8/28/2012 3:02:28 PM

is this a new type of violence? i've never heard of it. you kids and your newfangled shenanigans. back in my day, we just had violence.

8/28/2012 3:07:05 PM

its like Baby Boy

8/28/2012 3:08:36 PM

It's sad that someone has to quit before speaking out, because of fears of backlash.

If she went above her bosses head, and that guy wasn't sympathetic, she'd be fired or made miserable until she quit.

If she said nothing, she's doing the students a disservice, as well as her co workers and herself.

If she speaks out before quitting, she'd be treated like a pariah and have to quit.

I feel sorry for anyone in this situation. There's no graceful solution.

8/28/2012 3:52:31 PM

Quote :

"helping survivors of sexual or violent relationships"

those poor victims of sexual relationships...

8/28/2012 11:09:13 PM

I really like The Movement.

They gave me a free cup and pad of post-it notes at convocation a few years ago.

8/28/2012 11:11:30 PM

I know a lot of people who have been involved with the women's center and over the past year it has just gone in the toilet.

The director does not believe that the women's center should have anything to do with abused women or risky situations. And it has blatantly come out as not supporting the GLBT community.

Instead the women's center is about "celebrating" women. What that means I have no idea.

Additionally, anytime the director has heard backlash which has been people simply saying "that they cannot count on the women's center for support." She has threatened to get people fired from internships/lose scholarships and whatnot at places where they CAN help women.

NCSU used to be known as progressive in this field. Now it is firmly back in the 50's. Shame on them.

8/28/2012 11:35:08 PM

I had a very difficult time figuring out what their problem is with the director, even after reading the OP's article and the resignation letter. I see some extremely vague accusations of "bullying" and what appears to be a fairly one-sided story.

Without knowing the full story, I'd speculate that this is related to personality clashes within the organization. After months of passive aggressive behavior on all sides, which is typical in female-dominated organizations, the whole thing is collapsing in a flurry of hurt feelings and poor communication. A male-dominated organization would be more likely to have a power struggle or leadership shake-up play out in days or weeks rather than months or a year, simply due to the comparatively confrontational/aggressive nature of men.

The services provided by this organization seem worth keeping around. Therapy and counseling are critical in our society where violent mindsets are pervasive. If it's true that it has become more about "celebrating women" or some bullshit like that, then clearly something needs to change.

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 11:48 PM. Reason : ]

8/28/2012 11:46:35 PM

So why does this Ashley person still have a job?

8/28/2012 11:47:13 PM

No speculation required. The new director has been running the center into the ground, and destroying the reputation that NCSU Women's center once had at the expense of the students and the people who worked in the organization.

If you can find someone who agrees with the director's policies I will be astonished.

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 11:50 PM. Reason : ^ good question]

8/28/2012 11:49:39 PM

Why don't we just get rid of the Woman's and LGBT centers altogether and do the logical thing in not duplicating services already provided by the counseling center at a fraction of the infrastructure cost?

Honestly, is the PC badge of having dedicated centers for minority demographics honestly worth the tens of thousands of dollars in an economy in which faculty retention is a serious issue?

[Edited on August 29, 2012 at 1:48 AM. Reason : Women on campus are not a minority demographic, those that would utilize the center are.]

8/29/2012 1:41:22 AM

I am basically a women's center.


Mark 17:2

and Jesus said: let the women come to me

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

8/29/2012 1:43:52 AM

^^I've always been somewhat cavalier about dismissing the emphasis/importance we place on domestic violence. And I still think we are way too quick to vilify men who are not like the horrible abusers we see on Lifetime.

But I have recently come to realize that a friend of mine is in an abusive relationship, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure it out. My friend still doesn't see it, and it is excruciating to watch her go through it.

So, anyway, I think it's important for people to have a place where they explore these issues and share information with the public. And it's not just important...it's easy and cheap. All you do is set a few bucks aside and let the self-motivated folks who really care get active on a shoestring budget. I mean, the amount of unpaid man hours these people are willing to devote to their cause is crazy, and we'd be crazy to not utilize their time/energy by giving them a place to do what they do.

[Edited on August 29, 2012 at 7:57 AM. Reason : ]

8/29/2012 7:28:46 AM

to celebrate their womanhood they sit around in circles and talk with their vaginas like ace ventura talks with his butthole, discussing fabrics and clothing sales and horrible reality TV

8/29/2012 7:46:10 AM

Quote :

"But I have recently come to realize that a friend of mine is in an abusive relationship, and it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure it out. My friend still doesn't see it, and it is excruciating to watch her go through it."

Have you had a serious conversation with her about it, or are you avoiding the discussion because it's "not your business" or something like that?

Family and friends should be supporting victims of abuse. Ideally, victims would not need to go to some stranger to talk it out.

8/29/2012 9:24:33 AM

Quote :

"Why don't we just get rid of the Woman's and LGBT centers altogether and do the logical thing in not duplicating services already provided by the counseling center at a fraction of the infrastructure cost? Honestly, is the PC badge of having dedicated centers for minority demographics honestly worth the tens of thousands of dollars in an economy in which faculty retention is a serious issue?"

At least the Women's Center (used to) provide a vital service with rape counseling etc. A woman might not feel comfortable going to Student Health Services with such issues but may feel more comfortable going to the Women's Center. Now some of the other stuff our university has spent money on for the sake of PC inclusiveness makes me pissed we wasted money on such things. If you watch the Penn and Teller episode on how college is bullshit, you'll see our university included on the list of organizations that paid that idiotic "diversity auditor" or whatever the fuck he called himself.

8/29/2012 9:33:44 AM

sounds like a bunch of people found an excuse to find a better paying job rather than do whatever they could to help in anyway they could until they were fired directly for insubordination

8/29/2012 9:36:33 AM

^^^I have. I want desperately to elaborate, but I feel like I've already said too much just by revealing the tidbits posted here.

8/29/2012 11:12:59 AM

And to be more clear, "inciting violence" (in the general case I was referencing) was intended to cover instances of women actually initiating the physical assault and then being surprised all to fuck and back when when they get their teeth crooked.

Men between the ages of 13 and 40 or so(even the very submissive and effeminate ones) operate on a completely different person to person dynamic than women. Violence and response to violence is ALWAYS just under the surface, mostly subconsciously, (those that deal with it on a more conscious level are known as douchebag private contractors) but it's there and it's reflexive. Having ANYONE but a child shove you or strike you has in effect put themselves in the ring with you. I'm not saying it's right, it very clearly is NOT, but it's a fact that men must deal with, and women MUST understand.

^unfortunate, but it is also a reality that there exist some women who cross the line of simply getting moist at the idea of banging some ultra masculine dude who just MIGHT (but never does) clobber them. There are a non-trivial number of people out there who feel the need to amputate perfectly functioning limbs and will do anything in their power to do it.
I dont think it would take any stretch of the imagination to realize that there is an even larger population of women who actually enjoy conflict so much that they prefer to be with men who hiit them back.



[Edited on August 29, 2012 at 11:33 AM. Reason : But there are some dudes who just like beating on women. These men work in law enforcement]

8/29/2012 11:19:25 AM

poptarts are dangerous as well

8/29/2012 8:12:07 PM

Okay what i posted is really funny if any of you heathens had read the bible

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

[Edited on August 29, 2012 at 8:14 PM. Reason : or if you're into post-surrealist french black metal]

8/29/2012 8:13:49 PM

Well, poptarts are pretty funny too.

8/29/2012 8:17:51 PM