Our History

The Women’s Center at West Chester University has been in existence for over 30 years. The Center was created by a group of concerned women who wanted to create a safe haven where they could better understand and discuss their lives as women in a male-dominated society.

Through their hard work and vision, the Women’s Center was up and running by 1974! Although the Women’s Center at WCU was not the first, it became a role model for other schools in the years to follow. Women involved with the Women’s Center met with one another to discuss mutual problems. More than just talk, they developed an informational newsletter, surveyed the campus to identify women’s issues, and found solutions collectively.

One of the most pressing needs expressed by campus women was affordable childcare. As a result, Women’s Center leaders created a free drop-in Children’s Center in the fall of 1976. By 1984-85, the drop-in childcare program had achieved enough support and funding to be established as a licensed childcare center. The Children’s Center eventually achieved adequate university support to become an entity separate from the Women’s Center.

In the years to follow, the Women’s Center intensified its commitment to addressing the all-too-common problem of sexual and relationship violence. Programming around sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and rape prevention as well as victim assistance became the focus of the Center’s activities under the direction of Robin Garrett, who served as director of the Women’s Center from 1987-2008.

In January of 2009, Dr. Adale Sholock inherited this rich history of feminist activism by becoming the first full-time director of the Women’s Center. She continues with the important work of sexual and relationship violence prevention while also expanding the role of the Women’s Center to meet the diverse needs of the women of West Chester University.