Charter

The CSUN Women's Research and Resource Center is one of the oldest Women's Centers in the CSU system.  Over the years, the Center has provided a wide array of services, programs, and activities that benefit women and men both on campus and in the community.  Since its inception, the Women's Center has always had a collaborative relationship with the Women's Studies Program, the Women's Studies Department and since 2008, the Gender and Women's Studies Department.  The Gender and Women's Studies Department has served in an advisory capacity to the Center, has cooperated with the Center on countless activities and events, and has provided limited financial support to the Center through the Phenomenal Women Awards fund-raiser.

The position of the Women's Research and Resource Center has always been unique among the various centers and houses on campus.  The Center does not represent any single group or class of women.  It is open to and provides services for all women and men who are concerned with gender equity on campus and in the community.  It is open at least 30 hours a week during the academic year.  The Women's Center mission is to enhance campus and community understanding of women's issues and concerns at CSUN.  In other words, it is dedicated to representing the interests of and providing services for approximately 60% of the student population.

In keeping with the guidelines and procedures outlined in Organization and Administration of Centers (AA 150-60 of April 28, 2000) and the directives of the College of Humanities, the Women's Research and Resource Center shall be named, organized, and administered as follows:

1. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Women's Research and Resource Center

2. Purposes and Functions

The purpose of the Women's Research and Resource Center, hereafter referred to as the Center, is to:

1. Support the CSUN values of Commitment to Teaching, Scholarship, and Active Learning and Alliances with the Community by:
1. Providing the opportunity for faculty to engage in community-based research on issues relevant to women.
2. Providing community service-learning opportunities for students.
3. Creating a forum in which faculty and students research may be disseminated and made available to the campus and the broader community.
2. Promote the CSUN value of Respect for All People through the following activities:
1. Offer referrals and resources for many different organizations focused on issues concerning women: women's shelters, counseling, legal references, child custody, date rape and domestic violence, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender resources, safe sex, health, community organizing, parenting issues, marriage and family counseling, and much more.
2. Provide support groups addressing a wide range of women's issues from body image to self-defense to singe parenting.
3. Offer educational programming and consciousness-raising events and activities, including speakers, special events, collaborative programming with other University entities.
4. Promote student, faculty and staff awareness and understanding of changing roles of women in society.
3. Promote the CSUN value of Encouragement of Innovation, Experimentation and Creativity by:
1. Supporting faculty research activities as they pertain to women.
2. Supporting student creative projects and research.
3. Encourage a commitment to positive social change on behalf of women and by extension society as a whole.
4. Through all these activities, promote the CSUN value of Commitment to Excellence.

3. Organization of the Center

1. Supervising University Unit

The Women's Research and Resource Center shall operate under the College of Humanities.

2. Organizational structure

The Women's Research and Resource Center shall be managed by

1. Director

The Center will be managed by a full time staff Director, supported by the College of Humanities and assisted by a Campus Advisory Board. The Director will consult with the Chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department and be directly responsible to the Dean of the College.  Under the oversight of the Dean, the Director will be responsible for the general operation and administration of the Center, but may delegate responsibilities for direct operation of any specific program.  The Director and Assistant Director, in consultation with the Dean, will also be responsible for ensuring that the Center's activities are consistent with the mission and policies of CSUN.  The Director will submit an annual program and financial report to the Advisory Board, the Dean of the College of Humanities, the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Office of the Provost.  The Director, in consultation with the Dean, will work with the Gender and Women's Studies Department, and with Associated Students when appropriate, to allocate funds, to staff projects and to arrange for space, equipment, supplies and other resources and facilities necessary to support and promote the Center's projects.

2. Assistant Director(s)

There will be one assistant director appointed by the Director, in consultation with the Chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department and the Women's Research and Resource Center Advisory Board members, and with the approval of the Dean of the College of Humanities.  The Assistant Director will be a student intern supervised by the Director, gaining education and experience in applied Gender and Women's Studies.  The term of the Assistant Director will normally be for on academic year but the same person may serve up to three terms.  The Assistant Director will be a student intern in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies.

The qualifications for the Assistant Director(s) are:

1. Must be a CSUN student.
2. Must be an active member of the Women's Center.
3. Must have completed at least 18 semester units of Gender and Women's Studies course work and 15 hours of community service related to women's experiences.
4. Have a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of women on the CSUN campus and in the surrounding communities.

3. Advisory Board

The Center Advisory Board members will be appointed by the Director on an annual basis, in consultation with the Chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department with approval by the Dean of the College of Humanities.  The Advisory Board will include the Director, the Assistant Director, the Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee), and no more than 6 additional CSUN faculty, staff, student and/or alumni members. The Advisory Board will meet one to two times per semester, unless otherwise determined by a majority of the membership or at the request of the Director or Dean.  The Advisory Board members shall serve for one academic year, with the option of reappointment for no more than three terms.  The qualifications for Advisory Board membership are:

1. A member (student, alumni, faculty or staff) of the Women's Research and Resource Center.
2. Student members must have completed at least 15 semester units of course work in the Gender and Women's Studies Department or affiliated campus departments.
3. Board members must have a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of women on the CSUN campus and in the surrounding communities

3. Administration

1. Administration: Director

Under the oversight of the Dean of the college, the Director shall be responsible for the general operation and administration of the Center.  Responsibility for the direct operation of a specific program may be delegated, as may other responsibilities of the Director as necessary.

The Director shall be responsible for allocating funds, staffing programs, administrative operations, and arranging space, equipment, and other resources and facilities required to support and promote the work of the Center.  All decisions concerning staffing and expenditures made by the Director must have approval of the College Dean.  The Director is also responsible for the preparation of the Center's annual report, as required by University policy.

2. Administration: Advisory Board

The Advisory Board shall serve as a scholarly and administrative resource.  The Advisory Board will be a resource group to which the Director can bring topics for discussion; it will audit programs and activities of the Center, review its financial operations, and assure that the Center's activities are consistent with its purposes and functions. 

3. Administration: Dean

The Dean of the college will be responsible for reviewing and approving all Center activities and published material.  This review and approval process shall ensure that activities and published material of the Center contributes to the fulfillment of the CSU and CSUN missions, are consistent with acceptable standards of scholarship, the charter of the Center and goals of the College, and otherwise conform to applicable laws, regulations, and policies of the University.

4. Finances

1. Source of Funding

The CSUN Women's Research and Resource Center will be funded by several separate, but cooperative, entities.  Funding for programming and activities will be solicited from Associated Students on a yearly basis, in accordance with AS policies and procedures.  Operational expenses (rent, electricity, maintenance) will be provided by the University.  The Director's salary will be provided by the College of Humanities.  Funding for the Assistant Director will be provided to the College of Humanities, through Student Affairs, as a student internship stipend.  Additional support will be provided by donations, grants, and development activities.  The Director will work with the Dean of Humanities, the Chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department, and the College of Humanities Director of Development office to obtain funding from private and public sources. 

2.  Operations

In consultation with the College Dean, the Director will be responsible for all financial operations of the Center and for maintaining its financial operations and financial soundness.  The Director shall be responsible for allocating funds, staffing programs, administrative operations, and for arranging for space, equipment and other resources and facilities required to support and promote the work of the Center.  All decisions concerning staffing and expenditures made by the Director must have the approval of the College Dean.

3. Management of Resources

Funds, equipment and other physical property purchased with funds of the Center will be managed according to the policies and practices of the University.  The use of resources shall be subject to review and must be approved by the Dean of the College of Humanities.

5. Annual Report

1. Proposed Activities

Each year, the Director shall submit to the Dean of the College of Humanities a proposed plan for the coming academic year as part of the annual report.  The Director will then meet with the Dean and the Chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department to review all proposed activities, publicity, plans, advisory board changes, and budget projections for proposed Center Projects.  The Dean will review additional activities proposed during the academic year, as necessary.

2. Submission of Annual Report

By August 15 of each year, the Director shall issue a written progress report to the Dean of the College, the Provost Council, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  The Advisory Board will review the annual report prior to submission, as appropriate.

3. Contents of Annual Report

The annual report shall include a summary of the Center's programs and activities and an income statement and balance sheet for the previous year.  Additionally, this report shall contain a narrative and budget plan for the next academic year.

6.  Period of Operation

The Center will be dissolved as of June 30, 2016, unless its charter is renewed prior to that date upon application to the Provost. Similarly, all projects and components of the Center will operate for fixed periods and will be automatically dissolved at the end the period unless renewed by the Director, in consultation with the Advisory Board and the Dean.