Women’s Center moves to a new home

While students pack their bags for their fall break destinations, the Carolina Women’s Center will also be packing up its belongings.

But the Women’s Center is not leaving — just changing locations.

On Oct. 16, the center will be swapping its second-story office at 134 E. Franklin St. for a freestanding house at 215 W. Cameron St.

“We heard the space was open and we thought, sure, yeah, we are interested in checking it out,” said Ashley Fogle, associate director of the Women’s Center. “It is amazing. We cannot believe we had the opportunity to get it.”

The Women’s Center works to support and promote the equality of women and women’s issues at UNC.

“Having our own stand-alone building feels like a really great affirmation about our work,” said Donna Bickford, center director.

The Cameron Street location is a historic home with a guest house, which will be used as an annex, also on the property, Fogle said.

Moving will not change the services and programs the center offers, Bickford said, but will allow them to expand.

At its current location, the Women’s Center offers a lactation room for nursing mothers, a small library which doubles as a conference room and some other small-group meeting rooms.

The Cameron location will allow more room for all of these services.

“In the new house the conference room and the library will be separate,” Bickford said. “People will be able to hang out and will not have to move out when we need the room.”

The lactation facility they offer will also be improved and much nicer, Fogle said.

Women’s Center officials also said they are excited about the new space and opportunities the annex will offer.

“For the first time we will actually have some of our own space so we could do some of our own programs,” Fogle said.

Group meetings, small discussions and movie viewings are all possible ways leaders have discussed to use the space.

Some students involved with the Women’s Center also are looking forward to the new site.

Emily Joy Rothchild, a senior and undergraduate representative on the Women’s Center’s program advisory council, has been working at the center for two years.

Although she still likes the Franklin Street office, she is particularly looking forward to new neighbors.

“The new location is by a few other centers on campus, like the public service center,” Rothchild said. “I think it will be cool to be by other centers and have the feeling of being part of the campus community geographically.”

The move from sharing office space to having a free-standing place may mean more than just increasing property size.

“I believe this will demonstrate the commitment Carolina has for the Women’s Center,” Rothchild said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.