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Proposal to merge Women's Resource Center and CARE dropped

Sen. Podbielski said merger wouldn't reduce the cost of running the 2 programs

After great outcry from members of CARE and the Women's Resource Center, the proposal to merge the two programs was dropped last week.

ASUA Sen. Tiffany Podbielski proposed a merger between the two programs at the last Associated Students Senate meeting.

After two hours of debate, the Senate decided to meet individually with the directors of each program on Thursday.

Podbielski said she decided to drop the proposal after hearing the discussions and thinking about it.

"The more I talked to the WRC (Women's Resource Center) and CARE, the more I realized it wasn't going to work," Podbielski said.

The proposal called for the Campus Acquaintance Rape Education to merge with the resource center and would have added an additional director to the center, who would have overseen CARE activities.

Podbielski said she proposed the merger because she thought money could be saved by combining the two programs and directors.

She then realized that both programs would need the same amount of money even if they are combined.

"When it all came down to it I'd have to put more money into the WRC," Podbielski said.

Rebecca Knox, co-director of the Women's Resource Center, said Thursday's discussion with the Senate was more effective than the Wednesday's Senate meeting.

The discussion on Thursday did not seem to be the program directors versus the Senate, it was much calmer, Knox said.

Many members of both organizations said CARE would lose male involvement if it was under the resource center because many men would feel the program was only for women.

About 45 minutes after the discussion on Thursday, Podbielski came into the center and said she decided not to go through with the proposal, Knox said.

Knox said the resource center would will continue to have four directors next year.

Podbielski said she still has plans for the two programs.

"I'm going to sit down with the directors and plan new programs," said Podbielski, who is also ASUA's administrative vice president-elect. "They need to be putting on more programming about rape education."

Podbielski said she also wants to help the two groups find sponsorships to help with funds.

"I only want the best for both programs," Podbielski said.

She added that she didn't drop the proposal because it might not have passed in the Senate meeting.

"For me it was never about winning this in the Senate," Podbielski said. "If I still believed in what I was (proposing) I would have pushed it."