Women's Program Newsletter

Transitions To Success:  Meet Our Instructors

Our Transitions To Success program is blessed with three outstanding instructors. The following article highlights the past accomplishments, as well as future goals, of each of these outstanding mentors to our Transitions students:

Cara DiMarco is our lead Transitions instructor and has been teaching with the program since 1990. Although the program began in 1987, the curriculum Cara inherited was very scant; there were no books and just a few handouts. Through trial and error, Cara created the program materials, including the two textbooks, which are used in all the Transitions classes today. The two texts are: Career Transitions: A Journey of Survival and Growth, and Moving Through Life Transitions With Power and Purpose.

Cara states that these textbooks guide the instructor and student through processes to a greater view of the world and a greater understanding of themselves. The texts also reflect Cara’s own transitions, both personally and professionally. “I think that fact has a lot to do with why the material is so effective; it comes out of my own personal experience”, she says.

Currently, Cara teaches one Transitions class each term and has a private psychology practice. She is in the process of writing a third book, and is also developing curriculum for a second level of the Transitions program. In her spare time, she enjoys modern, jazz and salsa dancing, runs and lifts weights, cooks and bakes, and is a voracious reader.

Linda Gonzalves spent 17 years at Rutgers University in the areas of advising, administration and faculty. She taught Women’s Studies and Education, and also worked in the Women’s Program. She also had a private practice and worked for five years in a transitional housing program assisting women with children who were escaping domestic violence.

Linda came to Eugene in early 1997 from New Jersey and met Cara DiMarco.  Cara was so impressed with Linda that she recommended Linda as a possible instructor in the Transitions program. In Winter term 1998, the opportunity arose for Linda to teach a Transitions class with only two weeks to prepare! 

She continues teaching with the program today and is very popular with her students. She states that Cara’s textbooks are wonderful, and offer a solid body of common knowledge that leaves room for the instructor to elaborate and individualize the course. “There is definitely something greater at work here than meets the eye”, she says, when explaining how three very different instructors with unique teaching styles and emphases, can utilize this same curricular material and have parallel outcomes for their students.

And what does Linda do in her spare time?  “I garden ‘til I drop! I have seven gardens… seven is a magic number for me. And right now I am resting. I've traveled extensively – to China, Mexico, Cuba, Germany, Scotland, and other places in Europe – and now it’s time to rest.”

Debora Landforce was a student at the U of O in the mid-70s, studying for her master’s in Counseling Psychology and Women’s Studies, when she began hearing about the Women’s Program at Lane.  At that time, she was researching what effect support between women has on their career decisions. She found that this type of support is crucially important to women’s success.

Debora was in private practice for eight years working with female clients on sexual abuse, domestic violence, addiction, and relationship issues. Her greatest interest was creating career exploration groups. She spent five years at the U of O in the Career Center in the area of career research and develop-ment. This laid an excellent background for what was to be her future work with the Transitions program.

By Fall term 1998, demand for the Transitions classes had grown enough to accommodate three classes per term (approximately 90 students). At this time, Debora was in private practice and going to school, as well as doing some consulting work on women’s health issues at midlife. She was also helping out in the counseling department at Lane. While at Lane, she attended a Transitions graduation and saw that the program seemed to be making a huge difference in the lives of women. Debora expressed her interest in teaching in the Transitions program, and began teaching the third Transitions class Winter 2000.

Debora points out that the success of the Transitions program rests upon three crucial components. The first of these is the excellent curriculum Cara has designed. The second is that the program is a complete team effort; how a woman is treated the first time she enters the Women’s Center is as important as how she is treated at program graduation.  The women behind the desk in the Women’s Center are examples for the women just begin-ning, and this affirming atmosphere is what makes the difference.  The third crucial factor is the trust that is given to the instructors and the rest of the staff of the Women’s Program by Director Kate Barry. “The only way to teach effectively is to be yourself. I love an administrator who picks good people and then lets those people work, and Kate does that. I have felt completely empowered to teach the way I do because of that trust. 

Outside of her Transitions program work, Debora is continuing in school and in her work on psycho-physiology (how hormones affect brain mechanisms). This is part of her on-going interest in women investigating the role of hormones in their health and becom-ing the leaders of their own health care teams.

Mark Your Calendars

BROWN BAG TALKS are sponsored by the Women’s Program to provide information on a diverse range of topics. These talks are free to everyone and are held from noon – 1:00 p.m. in the Boardroom of the Administration Build-ing at the main campus. For further infor-mation, please call 463-5796. 

Bring a lunch and join us for the following three discussions: 

“Women in Depression, Part I: Advertising, Medication, …and then?” Wed.,  Jan. 17

Join us for an in-depth discussion as Dr. Debra Merskin, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Pownall, M.Ed., explore the social impact of women’s depression in our community, as well as how advertising affects patient treatment for this widespread condition.  This is part one of a two part series on women and depression, which concludes with another Brown Bag on March 7th (see below).

“Welfare Reform & Women’s Welfare:  The Oregon Study” Thurs., Feb. 15

The numbers of people on welfare in Oregon have been drastically reduced since the passage of welfare reform in 1996.  This steep reduction in Oregon’s welfare rolls has been hailed as a major success.  But what has been the real impact of this major social change on low-income women and their families? Members of a research team from the UofO Center for the Study of Women in Society will discuss the results of their in-depth study of Oregon’s welfare reform, and recommend policies for change.  Join us for this important discussion of social welfare policy.

“Women in Depression, Part II: Treatment, Resources, & Rights” Wed., Mar. 7

Part two of this series is a panel pre-sentation  by a local therapist, a family physician and a psychiatrist who will discuss different treatment options and resources available in our community for women suffering from depression.  Alice Duffy, LCSW, and Drs. William Balsom and Joseph Arpaia speak out on this very real problem affecting millions of Amer-ican women every day. 

WOMEN STARTING COLLEGE WORKSHOPS
Wed., Jan. 17, 7-8:30 p.m.  and  Thurs., Feb. 1, 6-7:30 p.m.
Women's Center

Free workshops for women who are anxious or unsure about starting school, and balancing school, family and work. Learn how to get started, find support, and use resources and programs. For information or to pre-register, call the Women's Center at 463-5353.

SCHOLARSHIP CLASSES
Sat., Jan 20, 9 am-3:30pm and Monday/Wednesday, 3-4:50 pm
1/22, 1/24, 1/29, 1/31, 2/5, 2/12

Career and Employment Services (CES) is presenting classes in which the students will complete a quality scholarship portfolio and application while earning one credit! Students must register through ClassLine (registration #5708) or call Continuing Education at 726-2252. Space is limited, so students are urged to register as soon as possible.

Women’s Center Winter Term 2001 Hours
Monday, 8 am-3 pm & 4-5 pm
Tuesday, 8 am-8 pm
Wednesday, 8 am-5 pm
Thursday, 8 am-6:30 pm
Friday, 8 am-4 pm

The Women's Center is a resource and referral center available to campus and community members. For more information about the services available, contact the Women's Center at 463-5353 or come by Center Building room 213, Main Campus.

IN MEMORY
Izetta Hunter passed away on December 11 of age-related causes at age 80. She worked at the Women's Center at Lane for 14 years before retiring in 1992. "Izetta helped thousands of women enter Lane and stay in college," recalls Jill Bradley. "She was a strong advocate for students and worked very hard to help students find the resources they needed to succeed. She pulled strings, twisted arms, and asked her many friends/coworkers for favors to get things done on behalf of a student.  In short, she was a powerhouse. She was generous and affectionate with her co-workers, often bringing little gifts or flowers to someone, especially when they were having a bad day. We remember her with great affection."

WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GROUP

The Women in Information Tech-nology Group meets during the school year to provide networking and support to women already involved in the Computer Informa-tion Technology and Electronics Departments, and those considering careers in computer and electronics related fields. During our last meeting, we met in the Electronics Lab where we took computers apart and put them back together! We are planning to build computers at future meetings. The group usually meets twice during each term. Look flyers posted around campus or contact either Mari Good, CIT Instructor, ext. 2838, or LaRosa, ACCESS Advisor, ext. 2722

WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 

The Women’s Program is spon-soring the Women in Information Technology Conference on Satur-day, April 21, 2001.  The purpose of this conference is to introduce women to possible career options in fields that are seeking qualified employees and offer excellent eco-nomic compensation.  This includes opportunities in electronics, com-puter repair, computer technician, user support, information services, technical support, and computer science.   Participants will be offered a wide variety of workshops includ-ing hands-on sessions on becoming familiar with tools and equipment, training required, job outlook, and other relevant information. Work-shop presenters will be  women from the college and the community who are involved in all levels of information technology work. For further information, contact Donna “LaRosa” Rose in the Women’s Center, at ext. 2722.

TRANSITIONS TO SUCCESS GRADUATION - March 22,  5:30 - 7:30 pm  Cafeteria, Main Campus
The Transitions To Success program will hold its graduation ceremony for all three winter term TTS classes on March 22.  This is a fun and inspira-tional event and is an opportunity to join the TTS students in celebrating their accomplishments and acknow-ledging their future plans.  All are invited to attend.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY SPILDE, LANE’S NEW PRESIDENT!

Mary Spilde, former vice president of Instruction and Student Services at Lane, has been selected to serve as the college’s new president after current president Jerry Moskus leaves in June.  We wish to congratulate Mary, who will be the first woman president of Lane, and one of the few female college presidents in Oregon. Mary is widely liked and respected on campus, and has always been a strong supporter of the Women’s Program. We look forward to working with Mary in her new position, and we wish her all the best!

Winter 2001 Calendar

Wednesday, Jan 17 noon – 1:00 p.m. Brown Bag Talk: Women in Depression (part 1)

Wednesday, Jan 17 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Women Starting College Workshop

Thursday, Feb 1 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Women Starting College Workshop

Thursday, Feb 15 noon – 1:00 p.m. Brown Bag Talk:  Welfare Reform and Women’s Welfare:  The Oregon Study

Wednesday, Mar 7 noon – 1:00 p.m. Brown Bag Talk:  Women in Depression (part 2)

Thursday, Mar 22 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Transitions to Success Graduation Ceremony

For more information about any of these events, contact the Women's Center at 463-5353 or drop by Center Building 213, Main Campus.

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