AU women have a new place to get information after Friday's launch of a new Web site called The Virtual Women's Resource Center.
The Office of Campus Life and the Wellness Center launched the site, which Laura Kovach, a health educator in the Wellness Center, runs. Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson and Associate Dean of Students Sara Waldron are also involved in the site's administration, according to Vanessa C. Mueller, director of Women's Initiative.
The Web site provides several links to health-related sites, such as the Counseling Center, Student Health Center and sexual assault resources.
Links to female-related academic sites at AU are also provided. The sidebar features links to the Washington College of Law's Women and International Law Program, Women and Law Clinic and Women and Law Program. It also includes the Women and Politics Institute in the School of Public Affairs and the Women and Gender Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The site also has links to the Women's Initiative Web site.
"Women's Initiative is excited to continue publicity for the site so that students looking for this information can easily access it on the Web," Mueller said.
Tessa Raden, a sophomore in CAS, said she had not heard of the site but was excited to know that such a resource exists.
"Sometimes it seems like women's issues can get a little underrepresented on campus, which is funny because there is such a huge female presence at AU," Raden said.
Tara Meehan, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said it was important to have these resources online.
"I think it's great to have information right online if and when I need it," Meehan said. "It seems like a small step in the right direction for the women on this campus."
The Web site is a step toward getting a women's resource center on campus, said Mueller.
"The Virtual Women's Resource Center is a good first step toward what our campus really needs - an actual space and staff dedicated to addressing issues of particular concern to the women of American University," Mueller said.
Amanda Rollins, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said she felt like it was not enough of a step towards getting a women's center at AU.
"I haven't actually seen the site, but it sounds like a collection of information we already have," Rollins said. "Something bigger needs to be done if we're actually going to have a women's center sometime in the near future."
The site will begin covering events like Women's History Month and Take Back the Night as they happen, according to the Web site.
"It will be interesting to see what kind of resource it will become in the future," Raden said.
