Closing of Adult and Women Service Program Causes Concerns in Student Life

Being an NEIU student means access to many services and academic programs. Our school is well known for its cultural diversity and affordable tuition. It's tolerant community committed to providing an excellent education leading the students to future success. Among those academic commitments, NEIU has been providing the diversity of students with various supportive services to ensure that they all have equal access to the university's resources. Nevertheless, one utilized utilized program that has been growing every year is facing its elimination. The Adult and Women Services Program (AWSP) will be closed as of February 2011.

The AWSP mission is to promote unrestricted access and active involvement of adult and women students in NEIU life.

"As a resource and action center, this office responds to the unique and varied needs of adult learners and women students on a culturally diverse, urban campus and facilitate the involvement of these students in the total educational fabric of the institution," says the mission statement states.  

"As a resource and action center, this office responds to the unique and varied needs of adult learners and women students on a culturally diverse, urban campus and facilitates the involvement of these students in the total educational fabric of the institution," is the mission statement.  

In the beginning, the office of the program was located in the basement of D-building and it had a different name. Many students didn't know about it because of its location. The director of the AWSP, Dr. Sheena Warren, said, "One of the challenges was the visibility and the poor location." Last summer though, the office was moved to B-building room 119, which made it much more accessible. The next step was overcoming the lack of visibility to inform the students of the resource available to them, by using tabling activities.

"I got out and made myself visible," said Dr. Warren. She said that AWSP had a lot of space down in the basement, but the program and staff had shrunk over the years because of the tough economic times. The program has its hands in many functions; including supporting veterans, transfer students, as well as adult and women students. It provides services such as childcare and housing resources, transitional university orientation and domestic violence and sexual assault counseling.

"The Clothesline Project" was one of the program's very successful events, which is a month long initiative and outreach on sexual assault, where several conferences were held on campus last year. During that time, students told their stories or the stories of relatives and friends who have been victimized. Warren connected with faculty within different departments, such as political science, sociology and justice studies, to bring their classes to the sessions and workshops. The number of students visiting "The Clothesline Project" on a daily basis was around 3,000.

Dr. Warren said that the biggest problem many adult students face is time management, and since she is a certified trainer in "Seven Habits for Highly Effective College Students", she has organized numerous workshops and one-on-one sessions with students to help them manage their time more efficiently.

However, she said, "I never know what my day will present."  The issues she faces daily range from women victims of sexual assault, women whose children are being bullied in school and students in violent relationships whom she helps to get an order of protection or to prepare and plan to leave.

Moreover, Warren helps set up child care or housing resources. She noted that she has helped many students to get short or long term housing, so they don't become homeless. She added, "You won't believe how many students are homeless, but they are still in school." The issues, she continued, are women being raped, sexual orientation, Muslims who are secretly baptized and are afraid and various other issues.

"Nothing in the world prepares you to deal with these issues," said Warren. She explained that people need to be set up in advance to be successful, not to wait until the middle of the semester for them to drop out of school. She also helps students find a career or a nontraditional degree and teaches how to use it.

"The services are viable and much needed," said Warren. However, on Aug. 24, she received a letter giving the reason for the closing of the AWSP – AWSP did not align with the strategic plan of NEIU.

As far as we know, some services will be redirected to other offices. This is what Michael Kelly, the Dean of students said, "[AWSP] is not closing, it has been reorganized." He said that the most important services will be retained and that they are trying to prioritize what the most important services are for students. Kelly added that it is the director's position that has been eliminated, as a result of financial circumstances. He said that they are talking to students now regarding which services to keep.

However, Sheenita Robinson, a student utilizing the services of AWSP, said that nobody has talked to her. Having heard the news of eliminating AWSP's office, she said, "Who will I talk to now?" Robinson explained that Warren had helped with her management skills, with organizing her time and with keeping her academics in order. She added that Dr. Warren is the only African-American who facilitates the needs of African- American women on campus.

"If you see a face like yours it's, easier," said Robinson.  She added, "[Warren] is a great motivator, moms get discouraged, [but] she is like, ‘hey you can do it'."

Other people using the services AWSP provides shared the same opinion. Timothy Liberty, a president of the Veterans' Club, said, "Although veterans take care of veterans, it is nice to have people like Sheena to go the extra mile for us." Liberty explained that Dr. Warren was the first to inform him that NEIU had services for veterans. Warren herself said that last year, for the first time, AWSP began outreach to the military and veteran students. Before that, it was difficult to identify those students.

Patricia Barnes, another student benefiting from the AWSP services said, "If this program is broken down, it will separate the bond that the AWSP members have established…a program where we are connected with individuals that share common interests is a pleasure and comfort."