UTM welcomed the Women’s Student Alliance to campus in the fall of 2018.
The Women’s Student Alliance is “dedicated to enhancing academic experiences while empowering students through the development and promotion of education and social initiatives.”
Dr. Julie Hill, chair of the department of music, reinstated the Women’s Student Alliance at the beginning of the fall semester after being invited to a women’s faculty gathering.
“I remember I asked the question, ‘What is the goal or mission of this group?’ and they said ‘To not add any additional work to our plate, it’s just to support one another’ and I thought that was great,” Hill said.
Hill wanted to help students have the same support, so she dug into the organizations on campus to see if there was a group that fit the bill. Hill discovered that there had been a women’s student group on campus led by Dr. Teresa Collard, Communications professor, and Dr. Lisa LeBleu, Family and Consumer Science Education professor.
“I called Lisa and Teresa and they told me that it had been dormant, it looked like a couple of years when I looked at their Facebook page, and so she gave me her blessing,” Hill said. “I asked if I could work with her to reinvigorate that group somehow.”
Hill reached out to Dr. Chrissie Segars, assistant professor in Plant and Soil Science, to help jump start the group and Collard and LeBleu stepped aside.
Two other faculty advisors joined the group: Dr. Lindsay Anderson, assistant professor in Sociology, and Dr. Anthony Delmond, assistant professor in Geoscience.
Hill stated that the faculty members were present to help get the organization started and that the focus of the group would be on the students.
“We were [just] trying to help [to] facilitate getting it [the alliance] going, and making sure that they had a good leadership structure, and just facilitating their needs in general, and just being supportive, not being in control of the agenda,” Hill said.
The Women’s Student Alliance also works in conjunction with the Women’s Center to represent students.
Part of the mission of the Women’s Student Alliance states, “the WSA works in tandem with the Women’s Center to provide students, faculty and staff, and the surrounding community with information services and programs that address matter(s) of particular concern to women while exploring gender, race, economic status, sexual orientation, culture, religion, political views and other significant elements in relation to women’s uniqueness and collective identity.”
“We are in the auspice of the Women’s Center so we have a tab on their website and Renee’s [Dr. Renee LaFleur, associate professor of History and Women’s Center Director] been really great about, if we [needed] something, trying to help support us in the extent that she can.”
Hill said that she really wants the organization to be a hub for all women’s and gender equality events.
Brianna Hampton, freshman Music Education major from Martin and president of the Women’s Student Alliance, reiterated the idea by saying that this year they will be assisting in events that the Women’s Center and their sister organization, Wo/Men’s Resource and Rape Assistance Program (WRAP), will be hosting.
“Since we are a new organization, we are still discussing new programs and events,” Hampton said.
In the future, the Women’s Student Alliance plans to host events that would support all students on campus, whether they are members of the organization or not.
To achieve this goal, Hill reached out to all departments on campus in hopes of getting them involved and to partner with the Women’s Student Alliance when they host events.
The Women’s Student Alliance is an inclusive group and invites anyone to join. Those who are interested in joining the organization can contact Hampton, visit the Women’s Center website or check out the Women’s Student Alliance on Orgsync at https://orgsync.com/33193/chapter.
