INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / FEBRUARY 21, 1989

 

 

Centre Helps Women
Make Changes

Returning to school or re-
entering the workforce are
difficult transitions for anyone,
but women can find it especially
complicated if they have
children or little financial sup-
port. Sometimes, just finding
the information they need to
make important decisions can be
a very discouraging process.

“Knowing your options and
having realistic expectations are
very important when you’re
making a major change in your
life," says Liz Wilson, Coor-
dinator of the Women’s Centre
at Douglas College. "Many
women need to know there are
choices for them out there, but it
is often very difficult to find out
what they are."

For years now, the Douglas
College Women’s Centre has
been helping students and
women in the community make
difficult decisions by offering
advice and information, and by
referring them to appropriate
agencies.

Typically, women who ap-
proach the Women’s Centre for
help are beyond their teens or
twenties and have children.
Many have been out of school
or the workforce for a long time,
and some are single parents.
Money and confidence are usual-
ly the major barriers they face.

Often they need information
on everything, from how to

 

apply to college and how to ob-
tain student financing, to finding
daycare and daycare subsidies.

Wilson says that when
women are seeking financial
support for daycare or job re-
entry programs, they will often
have to make repeated attempts

 

and be particularly assertive in
order to get what they want.

“Most people who come to
see us need personal encourage-
ment and support," says Wilson.
"They also need to learn skills
which empower them, so they

continued on page 6

 

Staff Switch Places for

Short Term

Marian Exmann is taking a
temporary leave from her usual
duties at the college to complete
four special projects for the Per-
sonnel Department.

In the next four months, the
former Women’s Centre Coor-
dinator will develop a
performance evaluation system
for staff, research the potential
for an early retirement program,
prepare a procedures manual for
personnel-related issues, and re-
search and recommend a
training program for staff and
administration. The final
project will include a training-
needs assessment.

Exmann was seconded by the
Personnel Department because
of her extensive experience both
in the college environment and
in dealing with personnel issues.
Her background includes serv-
ing as Chairperson of BCGEU

 

local 59 and as a member of the
union bargaining committee for
several years.

Exmann has been with the col-
lege since its early years. She
was secretary to the Director of
Student Services and then
secretary to the Dean of Student
Services. For the past seven
years she has been the Coor-
dinator of the Women’s Centre.

Liz Wilson is Exmann’s re-
placement in the Women’s
Centre. Wilson also has a long
history with the college, dating
back to 1972. She has worked
primarily in the Registrar’s Of-
fice.

In 1978, Wilson went to work
at the Mission Memorial Hospi-
tal as an admitting clerk. She
was elected to the executive of
the Hospital Employees Union

continued on page 6

eee

5