Women's Program Newsletter

ACCESS Offers Women in Non-Traditional Careers a Jump Start

ACCESS (Alternative Career Choices for Equitable Student Success) started at Lane in Fall of 1992 with career exploration workshops and mini-classes. Currently, as part of the Women’s Program, ACCESS provides a variety of services and programs for women interested in male dominated careers.

By offering women opportunities for support and encouragement in the exploration and training stage, ACCESS hopes to gradually increase gender equity in the trades and technical workforce, says Kate Barry, director of the Women’s Program at Lane.

Every term, panels of women in non-traditional careers speak to students in the Transitions to Success classes.  Students hear the empowering experiences of women who have pursued their dreams and passions, despite having to overcome obstacles and challenges.

ACCESS Advisor, Donna “LaRosa” Rose, also meets with potential and current students to discuss their interests in non-traditional careers and explore training opportunities.  She works with the many departments and staff throughout Lane that offer classes and degrees in areas that are non-traditional for women.

ACCESS, in collaboration with Mari Good, instructor in the Computer Information Technology Program, sponsors the Women in Information Technology Group which meets several times throughout the year.  This group offers students in information technology programs an opportunity to give and receive support, as well as gather information from speakers on topics such as life after Lane, job opportunities, and negotiating salaries.  In addition, the women obtain hands-on experience with the inner workings of computers, and recently volunteered to rebuild computers for the local Head Start office.

In it’s eighth year, the ACCESS Mentorship Program gives students a chance to spend time with a woman working in a field that matches their employment goals.  Many former students from the mentorship program return to serve as mentors to other women students, providing a widening network of support.

Donnay Price, an LCC Electronics Technician graduate currently working for the City of Springfield as a Network Analyst, volunteered as a mentor the first year of the program and is now participating for the fifth time.  When asked why she keeps saying yes, Donnay replied, “I like seeing more women getting into this field, I feel good about giving back to the community and I enjoy meeting with other women who already do this type of work.”

Last April, ACCESS sponsored the Women in Technology Conference.  Over 200 women attended this event which included hands-on workshops, panel presentations and a booth fair featuring educational and training opportunities. 

LaRosa has been with ACCESS since 1993.  Having left her traditional female career as a teacher and social worker in mid-life to become a furniture and cabinetmaker for 25 years, she understands the challenges that women can face when pursuing jobs in male-dominated fields.  “I think it is important for women to understand the wide range of opportunities available to them and to have a supportive environment in which to pursue their career interests and potential,” says LaRosa.

With the goal of introducing girls to a wide variety of non-traditional skills, ACCESS and the Women’s Program will be presenting the third OPTIONS  Unlimited Conference for middle and high school girls on Saturday, April 20, 2002 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Lane’s main campus. For more information about this event, contact the Women’s Center at 463-5353.

Mark Your Calendars

Brown Bag Talks:

Tuesday, February 19 - 11:30—1:00 pm
Boardroom, Admin Bldg (Building 3)
“Care Ethics, Care Labor and the Body” Presented by Maurice Hamington
What does your body know? Lane instructor Maurice Hamington will discuss the notion of “embodied care”, which is a mixture of feminist care ethics and contemporary philosophy of the body. As women’s bodies bear the brunt of today’s care labor, the ethical implications of this gendered division of labor will also be explored.

Thurs., March 14, 12-1, Women’s Center (Bldg. 1, rm. 202)
“Remembering Ground Zero”  with Debby Ganser
Lane Community College Counselor Debby Ganser will share her experience in New York City last October, as a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Counselor responding to the World Trade Center disaster.

Transitions to Success Graduation

Set your sights high, the higher the better.
Expect the most wonderful things to happen,
not in the future, but right now.
Realise that nothing is too good.
Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or 
hold you up in any way.
— Eileen Caddy

_______________________________

Angela Grabow Awarded Ford Opportunity Scholarship

Angela Grabow has recently been awarded a Ford Opportunity Scholarship.  She's a 1996 TTS grad who is almost done with her transfer degree.  She plans to be an elementary ed teacher.  "When I first started here I did not think I could do anything.  I've gotten so much encouragement here.  That's why I want to teach school - because I want to teach others as I have been taught here at LCC.  I took math one credit at a time to begin with and now I'm in Math 95.  Taking math in little steps was like living on faith - that I could do it, and I have. I also took a lot of English Grammar classes and writing classes and that helped me write a winning essay."

ACCESS and the Women’s Program will be presenting the third OPTIONS  Unlimited Conference for middle and high school girls on Saturday, April 20, 2002 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Lane’s main campus.  This free event features a wide variety of hands-on workshops.  The purpose of the event is to expose girls to a broad range of career options and interests as well as life empowering skills they might never have considered for themselves.  Lunch will be provided and pre-registration is required.  For more information about this event, contact the Women’s Center at 463-5353

International Women’s Day

International Women's Day is March 8.  The holiday was originally established in 1910 at a conference in Copenhagen, where Clara Zetkin, a German socialist, suggested an international day to mark the strike of garment workers in the United States.  The proposal was unanimously approved and IWD was established to honor the movement for women's rights, including women's right to vote.  In 1917, Russian women chose IWD to strike for "bread and peace" in the aftermath of World War I.  In 1977, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace:  March 8.

Lane Phones Have a New Ring!

On February 16, 2002, Lane Community College will switch to a direct dial phone system.  The new Women’s Center number will be 463-5353.  Students First will be 463-3100.  The old main campus number of 747-4501 will continue working for one year after the switchover.

Young Women in Science 2002

The YWIS project will take place again this year, teaming middle school girls with female science students at Lane to work on projects together during Spring term.  This collaborative project between the Women’s Program, Lane’s Science Department, and the Pleasant Hill and Kelly-DaVinci middle schools, offers our Lane students a great mentoring opportunity, and the middle school girls get exposed to women college students who are excited about science.  Our YWIS project coordinator is Mary Phelps, a Lane student who has an interest in career counseling and sees the YWIS project as a great way to support girls’ interest in science. Something new for us this year is that the Lane chapter of the AAWCC (American Association of Women in Community Colleges) held a holiday silent auction, and contributed the $500 in proceeds to our project!  We will be using these funds to reimburse mentors any costs they incur while working with the girls on their science projects.  Thanks for your support, AAWCC! 

WOMEN’S CENTER HOURS

Winter 2002
Monday, 8 am - 3 pm & 4 - 6 pm
Tuesday, 8 am - 6:30 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 Building 1 (Students Services Bldg.) room 202, Main Campus. 

Winter 2002 Calendar

Tuesday, Feb. 19  11:30—1:00 p.m. Brown Bag: “Care Ethics, Care Labor and the Body” — Boardroom, Bldg 3

Women Starting College Workshops -- 
Friday, Feb. 22   10:00 a.m.—noon 
 Monday, Mar. 4    6:00—7:30 p.m. 
 Wednesday, Mar 13    1:00—3:00 p.m. 

 Friday, Mar. 8      International Women’s Day!

 Thursday, Mar. 14  12:00—1:00 p.m. Brown Bag: Remembering Ground Zero --   Women’s Center, Bldg. 1, Room 202

 Thursday, Mar. 21   5:30—7:30 p.m. TTS Graduation – The Forum, Main Campus
 

For more information about any of these events, contact the Women’s Center at 463-5353 or drop by our beautiful, new space in Building 1 (Students Services) room 202, Main Campus.

WOMEN’S PROGRAM STAFF

Kate Barry - Program Director

Patsy Raney - Administrative Specialist

Jill Bradley - Women’s Center Coordinator

Charleen Maclean - Transitions Coordinator

Cara DiMarco - Transitions Instructor/Counselor

Marge Barnhart - Transitions Advisor

Sharon Braaten - Transitions Office Specialist

Linda Gonzalves - Transitions Instructor

Debora Landforce - Transitions Instructor

Donna (LaRosa) Rose - ACCESS Advisor

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