Tuesday, September 16, 2003

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Women's Resource Center has launched its Web site at www.uncw.edu/wrc. The site offers information about the women's studies minor, a dynamic calendar of campus activities related to issues of women, gender and sexuality, profiles of prominent women and links to other resources and programs both on- and off-campus. It also invites users to sign up for the Women's Resource Center's "(f)e-mail list," a distribution list that will circulate event reminders, volunteer opportunities, action alerts and other timely information.

The Web site was designed by UNCW Webmaster and Senior Web Developer Michel Fougeres in consultation with Women's Resource Center Director Elizabeth Ervin. "We wanted to do something fun and accessible while still offering substantial content," said Ervin. "We were aiming for something that was professional but not too institutional. Michel was committed to understanding our vision while making sure that it also developed in accordance with UNCW's visual identity guidelines." The distinctive tattoo logos found on the Web site are among six designed specially for the Women's Resource Center by tattoo artist Morgan Eaton of Cape Fear Tattoo.

One innovative feature of the Web site is a link called "Where in the World is the Women's Resource Center?" Students, faculty and staff are invited to submit photos of themselves wearing Women's Resource Center t-shirts during their travels, and these photos will be displayed online. According to Ervin, the "Where in the World" feature is meant to encourage international perspectives on women's issues, as well as to celebrate the lives and adventures of women and men who care about gender equity.

Since the Women's Resource Center does not yet have a campus facility, the database-driven Web site will function as a "virtual center," expanding its offerings as new needs arise. "Obviously, we want—and need—a place for people to meet, work on projects and organize," Ervin said. "But in the meantime, people still need information and support. Now at least there's a 'place' for them to turn." She noted that the current site is still under construction and welcomes suggestions about new content.

The Women's Resource Center was established in 2001 for the purpose of increasing awareness and understanding of women's concerns, needs and challenges, including an emphasis on how these issues can affect both women and men, by serving as the administrative home for the women’s studies minor, coordinating campus programming related to women, creating a safe and equitable environment for all members of the campus community and facilitating outreach and cooperative endeavors with community agencies that work on behalf of women.

###

Media Contact: Elizabeth Ervin, director of the Women’s Resource Center, at 910/962-3650.