Letter from the editor: UH shouldn’t bury the Women & Gender Resource Center

At a time when talking about gender is under attack at Texas universities, UH’s decision to consolidate the Women & Gender Resource Center feels like a low blow. Services will not be eliminated, but as I read the University’s response, I couldn’t help but think that a valuable resource will now be tucked away in the Dean of Students’ office.

The new “Parent and Family Office” will support student parents and family engagement. While I think student parents should be supported, the timing raises questions. 

What was the reason to pivot toward this office, while choosing to consolidate – or, in my opinion, bury – the only office with the word “women” and “gender” in the title? The WGRC can exist without pushing it out to make room for another office. 

I visited the WGRC a handful of times, and each time it reminded me how important it was to have such a welcoming, open space. 

Whether it was for a snack, feminine products, a pregnancy test or even just a place to hang out, the office provided it, no questions asked.

You would always see a few students lounging on the chairs, on their laptops or talking amongst each other. It’s a community, just like the LGBTQ+ Resource Center was for the queer community before it was ultimately closed due to SB17, a bill that prevents universities from continuing with their diversity, equity and inclusion offices. 

Even if administrators say the decision to consolidate the WGRC had nothing to do with the state legislature, it still feels dismissive.

Although the Dean of Students Office is still on the second floor of Student Center South, I fear that the sense of community will be gone. You can’t shove so many resources in one room without acknowledging that you need space to build a community, and space for people to interact with each other freely. 

With plans to expand Student Center North with a $40 million project, UH administrators should have found a way to keep the WGRC where it is and find a new home for the Parent and Family Office. The Student Center North expansion will already include a space for Counseling and Psychological Services and other student services like Career Services. It seems like the expansion could be a good place for the new office. 

This quiet move by the University sends a bigger message to the student body, and although this has been in the works for five years, that’s more than enough time to come up with a better plan than this. 

The University needs to reconsider this decision and make room to support all students without shifting one valuable resource to make room for another. UH students deserve more.

editor@thedailycougar.com