Frequently Asked Questions: What Would Jane Say?
What do you do at the Women’s Center?
Why is there a Women’s Center?
Why isn't there a Men's Center?
How long has the center been on campus and who is Jane Kopas?
Do you provide health services?
Can I talk to you about birth control?
My friend experienced sexual assault or other interpersonal violence. What services do you offer?
What do volunteers typically do?
Does the Women’s Center offer Service Learning?
How do I become a work study? Are you hiring?
What do you do at the Women's Center?
Educational Programs: We provide a large range of educational programs on issues related and relevant to women including body image and integrity, feminist art and film, women's health, the feminist movement, sexual assault and relationship violence, women’s leadership, work/life balance, and gender and popular culture.
Women’s Leadership: Connected with our educational programs, we collaborate with various offices and programs to offer women and men opportunities to see the benefit of women's leadership skills.
Civic Engagement: We have partnered with the Women's Resource Center of Lackawanna, the Catherine McAuley Center, Catholic Social Services, the Scranton School Aged Mothers Program, the League of Women Voters, and local high schools, colleges, and universities to create collaborative programs that serve a broad range of community members.
Resources and Opportunities: We house a print, video, and journal library as a resource to students. We provide students volunteer opportunities, work study positions, and service learning credit for supervised projects at the Center.
Why is there a Women's Center on Campus?
Women's centers were first established on college campuses in the early 1970s to address the array of issues women faced on campuses: rape and sexual assault, relationship violence, sexual harassment, pay inequities, hiring and promotion discrimination against faculty, and the lack of women's issues included in curricula, among others. In addition, women's centers served as a place for women to gather, socialize, organize, and educate both themselves and their peers. Now, campus women's centers act as a resource for all genders.
Why isn’t there a Men’s Center?
While we understand that men face discrimination, rarely are they discriminated against because of their sex/gender. Women have historically faced discrimination: denial of suffrage, lack of access to education, employment discrimination, denial of marital and custody rights, exclusion from property and inheritance rights, pay inequities, sexual harassment, and violence against women (rape, battering, female genital mutilation, dowry murder, female infanticide, bride burning). All of these practices target women AS women. As such, establishing a men's center would suggest that the historical and current status of men is similar to that of women, which it is not. Women's centers address the historical and current trends affecting women.
How long has the center been on campus and who is Jane Kopas?
After planning and organizing began in 1992, the Women's Center at The University of Scranton was established in 1994 to provide a forum on campus for exploring women's issues and to address concerns of gender equality and justice. The Center officially opened in December of 1994 on the ground floor of Fitch Hall and was named the Campus Women's Center.
Over the summer of 2001, the Campus Women's Center was renamed after Theology and Religious Studies professor M. Jane Kopas, OSF, Ph.D. When Dr. Kopas announced her plans to retire, many members of the University of Scranton community wanted to recognize her numerous and diverse contributions to improving the status of women on our campus and in the greater Scranton community. Dr. Kopas was among the first faculty members appointed to the Committee on the Status of Women, and she was on the task force that called for the creation of such a committee. After strongly advocating for the creation and establishment of a women's center, she became the first director of the Campus Women's Center. In addition, she was a key member of the group that developed the Women's Studies Concentration. And in the larger community, she was instrumental in developing the "Empty Place at the Table" memorial to women, children, and men who have lost their lives as a result of relationship violence. This display is maintained by the Women's Resource Center of Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties. The Women's Studies faculty and the Committee on the Status of Women requested that the Campus Women's Center be named the Jane Kopas Women's Center in recognition of Dr. Kopas's contributions to women on our campus and in the community.
Do you provide health services?
The Women's Center does not offer medical services although we do assist students in getting the help they need. The University of Scranton has talented staff working at Student Health Services. Students, of course, may also seek counseling or medical help at area facilities. Student Health Services may be contacted at 570-941-7667.
The Women's Center does not offer mental health/long-term counseling although we do assist students in getting the help they need. The University of Scranton offers mental health counseling at the Counseling Center, located on 6th Floor O'Hara Hall (570-941-7620). Students may also seek counseling at area facilities.
Can I talk to you about birth control?
We do not provide contraceptives. Students with medical concerns should visit the University's Student Health Services.
My friend experienced sexual assault or interpersonal violence. What services do you offer?
We provide students with their options on campus and off campus. We do not offer counseling at the JKWC nor do we provide any medical services. We do, however, attempt to provide students with information and resources so that they may determine their best course of action.
The Women’s Center offers three primary ways to get involved: volunteer, work study, and internships. We encourage you to stop into the center and speak with any of the student staff, professional staff, or volunteers. You may also get involved by participating in Women’s Center programs. Check our websites for more information and important dates: www.facebook.com/janekopaswomenscenter or www.scranton.edu/jkwc
What do volunteers typically do?
Volunteers provide necessary insight and enthusiasm at the JKWC! Each semester, the JKWC utilizes volunteers for idea generation, event planning, and event staffing. Please stop by our center to learn about volunteer opportunities.
Does the Women’s Center offer Service Learning?
Service learning opportunities at the Center vary from semester to semester and engage students over a moderate to long-term time period. Service learning hours can be logged through participation in our annual Take Back the Night planning process, participation in P.A.C.T., and other major programs and events. In special cases, service learning positions can be structured for students to best suit the students' needs and interests. Please contact the Director to discuss creating your own service learning project.
How do I become a work study? Are you hiring?
Work-study positions are available to students who qualify for Federal Work Study funding. Work study students should expect to work between 10 and 15 hours a week including a weekly meeting. Students should inquire in March or early April about work study positions for the following academic year. First year students should inquire during the first few weeks of the fall semester about open positions.