About the WRC/WISSH

Our Mission:
    The mission of the Notre Dame Women's Resource Center, or WISSH, Women in Social Service and Health is to serve as a resource for all members of the Notre Dame community.  WISSH celebrates a diversity of races, classes, ages, political beliefs, lifestyles and physical disabilities.

Goals:
    The WISSH aims to:

• Improve gender relations
• Increase awareness of issues such as eating disorders, date rape and sexual harassment
• Create an environment that is both interested in and welcoming to women
• Bring together faculty, students, staff and administrators of both genders to address their concerns about gender issues

In order to meet these goals, the WISSH:

• Maintains a library as a means of dissemination information pertaining to rape, sexual harassment, male-female communication, eating disorders, safety, career guidance, and numerous other women's issues
• Helps to coordinate the efforts of various groups oriented to women's issues at Notre Dame and provides a meeting place for those groups
• Sponsors, co-sponsors and provides networking for events on campus that relate to women
• Promotes and encourages research on gender issues
• Provides a space for women and concerned others to find support and understanding

History:
    The Women's Resource Committee of the Graduate Student Union began efforts to establish a Women's Resource Center a nearly decade ago.  Since then, more and more faculty, staff, and students (graduate and undergraduate) have voiced their support, and many have become personally involved in the effort.  Since October of 1993, the WRC has been operating as a student organization, recognized by the Office of Student Activities.  This, however, is meant to be only a stepping stone toward the ultimate goal of university-funded Women's Center that would be run by and designed to serve everyone at the University: students, faculty, staff and administrators.  In the meantime, the WRC will strive to fulfill its purpose as a student-run organization. Due to the opening of the Gender Relations Center, the WRC no longer has an official office in which we can meet. Hence, we have renamed the WRC, WISSH or Women in Social Service and Health. While the general goals are the same, we are no longer equipped to maintain a library or handle phone inquiries. Any questions about meetings or upcoming events should be sent to wrc@nd.edu.