I would not have been able to cross the bridge of being a new, insecure student to a now
more confident, soon-to-graduate student without the women in this network."
— Alicia, WMN mentee
The Women's and Gender Studies Program
invites
non-traditional students to
take advantage
of our library room.
A quiet space where
women can sit, eat lunch, and read
between classes.
The library is located
in 235 Rachel Cooper Hall and is open
from
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily, except
when the room is reserved for meetings.
The Women's and Gender Studies Library and
Reading Room also contains computers where you can print your papers
for free, use email, or surf the web. There
is also
a copier that may be used for 10 cents
per copy. There are also resource
books
and materials.
To provide support and information to women students beginning (or returning to) college after an interruption in their formal education. Mentors are female professionals on campus who wish to create a welcoming environment for these students in an effort to ease the transition into higher education.
Thursday,
April 16, 2009-- Non-Traditional Student Social and Awards Ceremony
(Vrooman Center):
The WMN Spring 2009 Book Award Winners will be recognized at this event.
Congratulations to the Mentees who received the Spring 2009 Women's Mentoring Network Book Awards (left to right below: Gwenelyn Lockhart, Donna Lindsey, and Latasha Medrano).
I
f you have any questions or need an accommodation, please contact Michelle Schuline at at 438-2156 or mmschul@ilstu.edu.
page last updated 4/23/09gfj
In Fall 2003, a group of university employees placed an ad in a campus publication to gauge interest in forming a mentoring network for female nontraditional students. As a result 27 university women mentored 41 nontraditional students. Many mentors in the group were once nontraditional students themselves and they understand the interests of nontraditional students.
Teri Farr Assistant to Department Chair, Sociology & Anthropology: "Back when we created the WMN, we knew there was a need for nontraditional women students to feel a part of ISU and be comfortable on campus. Little did we know how great the need was! I love connecting with our students and other mentors...learning from each other, and encouraging students to continue their studies and graduate from ISU. As an alumnus, I feel a strong bond and connection to our campus and community. I just wanted our students to be offered and afforded the same opportunities that I had...a chance to connect with faculty, staff and other students and to be given out of classroom learning opportunities that enrich their college experience.
As a mentor, I hope I've given support and advice to my mentees that they will remember and learn from. My mentees have given me a chance to "pay it forward" the way my mentors did in the past for me. Returning to college as an older person can sometimes be overwhelming and its a privilege to be able to provide a shoulder and be a cheerleader for students at ISU."