About Us

Ruth Margolin – Founding Director

1995 additions

105 Haag Hall – original UMKC cafeteria 1937

Our Story

The UMKC Women’s Center is one of the oldest campus-based women’s centers in the country. It was originally founded as the Women’s Resource Center in 1971 with a grant of $2,500 from the University Associates. It was housed in the bottom floor of a house on Charlotte Street along with the Psychology Department. Kay Waldo (later Barnes) was hired as the first part-time coordinator.

The Women’s Resource Center was moved to the Division of Students Affairs in 1976 because so many female non-traditional students had returned to school. After a survey of women students’ needs entitled, “Creating Change for College Women,” was sponsored by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Gary Widmar, a task force was created by Jeannette Lee, a community volunteer, who recommended the need for a physical space and expanded staff and resources.

Ruth Margolin joined the center as director in 1983. Ruth went on to serve as Director for 15 years. Under her leadership, Women on the Move expanded, the Women’s Leadership Institute was founded, the first Start Symposium is held (named after Martha Jane Starr and funded by the Family Study Center Endowment) and the Women’s Collaborative was formed on campus.

In 1995 The Women’s Center moved to our current location in Haag Hall 105, which was previously used as the university cafeteria. Led by board member “Corky” Pfieffer, the UMKC Women’s Center was painted, furnished, and the board room and built-in bookcases to house the library were added.

Throughout the history of the Women’s Center, other programs and offices have emerged from inside it’s walls. The first LGBT office for the campus, the Violence and Prevention office, the Black Women Leaders Conference (Now the Women of Color Leadership Conference) all got their start right here in Haag Hall.

Mission

The mission of the Women’s Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is to advocate, educate, and provide support services for the advancement of gender equity on campus and within the community at large.

Vision

Our vision is an equitable and just campus where students feel safe, respected, and empowered; We hope that all students will take the gender equity values they learn about at UMKC and positively influence society at large.

In support of this mission, the Women’s Center:

Facilitates student development through co-curricular experiences that affirm students’ identities and foster leadership opportunities;
Assists the University in achieving its retention goals by offering programming and services that promote student success;
Recognizes, celebrates, and promotes awareness of the intersectional realities of women’s lives, particularly across race, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, class, age, and abilities;
Fosters awareness of the effects of gender roles;
Offers support services, referrals, advocacy, and education around issues of gender violence;
Promotes the effective and constructive feminist activism of UMKC students, staff, faculty and community members;
Serves as a resource for the campus and Greater Kansas City communities on issues related to women and gender.