The mission of the Boston College Women's Center is to cultivate a campus culture that fosters the advancement of women and inspires all students to discover and embrace their full potential.
The Women’s Center (WC) was founded in 1973 to support, educate, and empower students of all genders in an inclusive and welcoming space. Valuing personal agency and strong community, our staff works to engage Boston College students through mentoring programs, events, and conversations that cultivate leadership, authentic relationships, and awareness of intersectional social justice issues.
The passionate staff of the WC consists of a full-time director, an associate director, three graduate assistants, and eight undergraduates who are committed to assisting students in their journey at Boston College.
The Women's Center is open to all students, faculty, and staff and offers a comfortable atmosphere to seek information, to participate in programming, and to find peer support. It is located in Maloney 441 and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays throughout the academic year.
For more information, call 617–552–3489 or e-mail women@bc.edu.
Our Core Values
To be a highly accessible place for members of the BC community of all genders, races, ethnicities, and beliefs, which is constantly changing to respond to the campus culture.
To build a network of faculty, staff, and alumni mentors who will connect with, support, and challenge women students to enhance their development.
To empower women students to recognize their gifts and talents, value who they are, and embody their personal and leadership potential.
To create a campus free of sexual violence by educating the community and inspiring members to prevent it, as well as to provide a consistent and caring response for those who experience it.
FAQs
The Boston College Women’s Center is located in Maloney 441. The office is open Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. during the academic year. You can contact the office by phone: 617–552–3489 or email: women@bc.edu.
Visit our staff page to learn about our team.
Every member of the Boston College community, including students, staff, and faculty, is welcome at the Women’s Center. We are a space that respects and celebrates people of all sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, religions, ages, abilities, and especially, genders.
Both men and women, as individuals at Boston College, have a wide array of needs and concerns, some of which are not fully met by the University. We each deal with a unique set of challenges based on gender, race, and sexual orientation, among other factors. However, as a gender, women have historically faced prejudices, practices, and policies that specifically aim to strip their power, often by limiting access to education and career opportunities. These struggles are no less relevant to our own campus.
We encourage and are deeply committed to men's growth and development, and work closely with male leadership organizations on campus. We are more than open to engaging in dialogue about how to better support men at the WC, and hope that both men and women will come by the WC to continue this conversation.
Men face distinct issues at BC, but to create a Men's Center undermines the historical and institutional disempowerment that women have faced and continue to face at BC and across the globe.
The Women’s Center falls under the health and wellness area of the Division of Student Affairs and is a collaborative partner of many organizations on campus such as University Health Services, University Counseling Services, Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center (BAIC), the Women and Gender Studies Program, the Office of Health Promotion, and the Division of Mission and Ministry. The WC refers students to these offices and co-sponsors events with these and other groups on campus throughout the academic year.
There are a variety of opportunities for BC students and faculty to get involved in the WC. We need many volunteers to help out with events we plan, especially during campaign weeks such as Love Your Body Week or CARE Week. If a student is interested in working at the WC, he or she can apply when we advertise for available positions, typically at the beginning of the spring semester. A student could also apply to become a Bystander Intervention Education presenter if they are interested in preventing or addressing sexual violence on BC’s campus. Sophomore and senior women are encouraged to join our THRIVE and RISE mentorship programs, and all students are invited to join our monthly discussion group: Dish.
If someone needs to speak to a peer counselor or the director, the WC staff is available during office hours to speak to walk-ins. If a student is interested in getting involved in the many programs or activities we run through the office, he or she could stop by to sign up to participate or get more information. If a student is interested in accessing confidential support as a survivor of sexual or intimate partner violence, they can come in and ask to speak to a member of the CARE Team.
The WC also houses a library with books available for check out. The books in the library address women’s issues as well as matters of social justice, race, and sexuality. We ensure that the WC remains a safe space where students can come to relax on the couches and hang out with the staff.
If you are in need of assistance outside the working hours of the WC, there are several services you can call:
SANet (Sexual Assault Network): 617–552–2211
Boston College Police Department (Emergency): 617–552–4440
Counseling Services Psychologist:
- On call during office hours: 617–552–3310
- When offices are closed: 617–552–3227
If you have further inquiries about the WC, please feel free to stop by during our office hours which are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. We can also be reached by phone at 617–552–3489 or by e-mail at women@bc.edu.