Brooklyn College students and faculty are petitioning the college’s president, Michelle Anderson, to hire two full-time staff members for the Women’s Center following budget cuts for the 2024 fiscal year that stalled the hiring process.
The petition, created on July 19 by faculty members and students, comes after Brooklyn College’s Vacancy Review Board approved the positions and heavily advised Anderson to hire two staff members, a process that has been halted since the fall 2022 semester.
The two full-time positions were set to be filled in time for the spring 2023 semester so the hub would run efficiently, but then the City University of New York — the coalition of universities that Brooklyn College is a part of — announced a hiring freeze.
As of July 26, the petition had nearly 750 signatures.
“I think the petition speaks for itself,” said Sau-Fong Au, the director of Brooklyn College’s Women's Center. “As a feminist and as a person who has intimately been involved with our work, [Anderson] always comes to our events and she understands the importance of the Women’s Center. I am really confident that after hearing all of us, she will make the right decision.”
The Women’s Center serves over 3,000 students per semester through events like holiday potlucks and educational programming, Au said. The Center also offers women and gender non-conforming students crisis intervention, academic advocacy and career help. During the pandemic, Au said it was one of the only student support centers that remained open.
The Center also provides free health services, including contraceptives, hygiene products and resource recommendations for other health concerns.
Currently, the hub has two part-time staff members — one office manager and one project coordinator — and runs with the help of student leaders who assist with administrative work.
Current and former students, including Brooklyn Council Member Shahana Hanif, have taken to social media to express support for the Center.
On her X account (formerly known as Twitter), Hanif posted a letter to Anderson supporting the petition, crediting the Center for her growth as a leader.
Students have also created an Instagram account for the Center's supporters to leave comments publicly. Many students have shared stories about receiving help during the pandemic and finding friendships and career opportunities.
“We had the petition, but we needed student voices to be heard,” said the Women’s Center Instagram account owner, who requested anonymity. “We needed to show that there's a whole bunch of students who are backing up these thoughts that we're having.”
On July 27, when students tried to hand deliver the petition to her on-campus office, Anderson was not there to receive it.
"No decision has been made about the new positions proposed for the Women’s Center," a spokesperson for Brooklyn College said to BK Reader. "The College has experienced enrollment and fiscal challenges since the pandemic and is carefully reviewing all proposed staffing changes as a result."
It is unclear if a decision will be made before the start of the fall semester, which begins on Aug. 25.
