According to ASU’s enrollment statistics, 51 percent of ASU’s undergraduate populous is female. However, there seems to be a lack of commitment at the University in providing female students with the proper resources to deal with feminine issues.
Student Health, with its newly renovated, top of the line facility, offers many services to students including routine check-ups and emergency care. While this is a physical location that offers students with many health services, this sector of ASU’s services is still lacking.
The website for Health Services does not provide an adequate amount of information for women concerning issues that arise frequently on a campus this size.
Daniel Luzer of the Washington Monthly reports that the majority of unplanned pregnancies actually happen to women in their 20s and teens. Considering the majority of the female student body falls in this age range, this leaves the University with a responsibility to respond to the study body and the needs they require.
Arizona’s strict protocols concerning sex education seem to reach beyond K-12. The absences of resources for women who may be in need of counseling or medical services for pregnancy testing or pregnancy itself are sparse. While the student health staff on campus is available for students with questions or concerns, the availability of resources is virtually nonexistent.
Francesca Crispo, an English literature junior, said, “I think it’s very important that help is available to female students without them having to struggle. It’s already difficult to deal with issues concerning pregnancy, let alone the search for help and resources.”
However, what needs an overhaul is the access of women’s resources via the Internet. ASU’s Student Counseling Services provides link to online literature about a great many “common student concerns.” Those issues that immediately concern women specifically — but not exclusively — include eating/body image anxieties and domestic violence.
The absence of resource material both on campus and online concerning feminine issues such as pregnancy, verbal and physical sexual harassment, and campus safety for women is deeply troubling, to say the least.
Resources should be made readily available on the University’s website, and they should be easily searchable.
Natalie Schmidt, an alumna of ASU’s theater department, had a few words to share about the University’s actions in aiding and supporting women. “Based on my experiences … I would say that ASU has a history of being unresponsive to women’s health and safety needs … the services that are in place, such as Safety Escort, are unreliable at best … ASU as an institution lacks commitment to women.”
Clearly, the Lady Devils, both past and present, are calling for more representation. Women’s resources are a vital part of a university community. Denying issues like student pregnancy will not alleviate them. A lack of education and resources for those already experiencing the anxieties of a perplexing situation only makes matters worse, ASU.
The columnist can be reached at ebeckley@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
