When undeclared freshman Amanda Levine decided to help a friend obtain information about getting an abortion during spring break, they were unsure of where to go.
It turns out her friend did not need the procedure, but if ASU had had a center for women - like the one currently in the works - they could have started and stopped there.
The Women's Coalition is planning to send a proposal to ASU administrators in late April requesting approval for funds to build such a center on campus by the end of 2007.
The center - which would be located in an ASU-owned house on Sixth Street between College and Forest avenues - would help female students with a variety of topics from information about feminist issues to getting help when a student brings a child to school, said Hillary Pinney, the director of the Women's Coalition.
"The Women's Center is a place to go to get information about women's issues and how to address and advocate for them," Pinney said.
The services the center would offer are free of charge, she said.
For students with children at ASU, the center will provide information such as whether the campus is stroller friendly and where there is a diaper changing station, Pinney said.
It is not yet known how much money would be needed to build the center, Pinney said.
The center would be funded in part by the University, grants and private donors, she added.
If approved, the center would also team up with other ASU programs such as the Career Center and other health services in order to direct students to the best person, Pinney said.
"The center provides a way to get through the rigors of going to a university," she said.
The Women's Coalition is in its tenth year and has had the goal to create the center for a long time since other universities have also had them, Pinney said.
Nursing sophomore Erin Gryder said she thinks the center would help females feel like they have a place to connect with people.
"Students are more comfortable going to a college surrounded by people that are more close to you," Gryder said. "They are dealing with the same stuff."
Reach the reporter at heather.cutler@asu.edu.
