UNM’s Women’s Resource Center celebrates grand opening for new space

The University of New Mexico's Women's Resource Center (WRC) is marking a new chapter by celebrating the grand opening of its new space in Mesa Vista Hall, room 1057. Located in the northwest courtyard, across from the fountain, the center now shares a courtyard with UNM's Asian Pacific Islander Resource Center, creating a space designed to holistically support students and build a more connected community.

The center's staff planned a festive cupcake party, where attendees could decorate cupcakes with toppings of their choice in a family-friendly environment so participants could see what the new space has to offer and meet the staff.

"We are excited to be in our new space. We are hoping students will be able to find us more easily and increase our foot traffic," said Áine McCarthy, the director of the Women's Resource Center. "It's fun to be in a different configuration with our neighboring center AAPIRC."

The WRC has been supporting students from the south side of Mesa Vista Hall for the last 54 years, since its inception in 1972. Today, the Center stands as a pillar of support, advocacy, safety and knowledge for all members of UNM and the greater community.

Collaboration is at the heart of WRC's work and initiatives and is the key to its success. The center's new shared space with AAPIRC will open more doors for cross-collaboration and help students find the university's newest student support center on campus.

WRC's new space reflects a reorganization to align student support services in a way that makes sense for each center's evolution and growth over the years.

"This new space gives our staff more private office space for their work, and gives our visitors a great space to come together," McCarthy said.

Visitors to the WRC will still be able to benefit from all of the essential services the center offered in its former space, such as free printing, a family-friendly study space, a group room with snacks and free coffee, a free hygiene closet that is freshly stocked every day, including menstrual products, and student-led programming.

What will be different is the new, innovative collaborations WRC is now set to offer because of its new space and location.

The center's goal is to create a joyful, welcoming community environment for everyone on campus, regardless of sexual identity, because one of the center's most important roles is to provide confidential advocacy, free counseling and support to student parents.

Their counseling and advocacy services are crucial from Sept. to Nov. each year, a time frame referred to as the Red Zone, when students have returned to campus and are commuting to classes, study sessions, and community get-togethers. During these months, there is a national trend of increased sexual assault reports than at any other time of the year. The WRC supports these survivors in important ways during these months.

The counseling office has remained in its former space, located on the south side of Mesa Vista Hall, across from the natatorium. The Center's Mental Health Collaborative initiative is an active collaboration with El Centro, so the administration wanted to keep the two locations close. A third office location is at Vassar House on the North Campus.

"This move has helped institutionalize free counseling, making it more secure than ever," said McCarthy. "I am very proud to be a part of the student affairs group and have the ability to collaborate with the other student support services across campus. We want to work together to raise the bar for how UNM supports its community in violence prevention, survivor support and parenting students support."

McCarthy also shared that she is very excited to now have Brandi Stone as the Student Support Director. "It is wonderful when your role model becomes your boss," she said.

To learn more about the WRC, upcoming events and its resources for students, visit its website.