Empower

Salisbury University is home to several female-focused initiatives that complement each other—though the particular emphases of each initiative differ, they are united by ideals of equality, raising awareness, education, boosting morale, creating opportunities, and fostering a healthy campus culture for all those who identify as female.

While Women’s History Month and the Women’s Circle look outwards, especially through events that are open to the community, Salisbury University’s Women’s Forum (SUWF) is much more focused inwards—we consider ways in which our campus culture and resources can be used and improved for the betterment of all female faculty and staff. To this end, we are less focused on creating events than on longer-term goals like publicizing and examining campus safety measures, providing a formal means for women to air concerns and priorities for making SU a more progressive campus, and calling attention to female-focused possibilities and systems of support. We welcome feedback or messages at any time throughout the year about how we can best serve SU faculty and staff.

The Women’s Circle of Salisbury University builds connections and support systems for women. This initiative moves beyond the borders of our campus to involve women in inspiring events and initiatives: for example, a female business leader might speak to a business-related class, or female SU alumni attend networking luncheons and presentations with current female faculty and students. The Women’s Circle initiates endowments for students’ learning and research, and promotes new ways for women to support each other, such as the professional mentoring program initiated by Chrys Egan (Communication Arts) over the last few months. The Women’s Circle hosts several regular events, including film screenings, an annual luncheon featuring students who speak about the work they've done with the Women’s Circle’s help, and fundraiser. For more information on the Women’s Circle, please visit them on on the Salisbury University Women's Circle website or on Facebook.

During the month of March SU hosts a variety of events related to understanding and celebrating women’s history. Women’s History month falls under the umbrella of the Public Humanities Program, which is based in the History Department within the Fulton School. The mission of the Public Humanities program, is to “organize, sponsor, and promote academic events (such as, but not limited to, keynote speakers, lectures, exhibitions) related to chronological areas that are typically underserved, and marginalized regional, ethnic, cultural, sexual, gender, and racial identities.”

So, SU honors Women’s History month in addition to exploring the history of marginalized identities more generally. Women’s History Month events have sometimes been thematic: for instance, in 2012 the theme was “Celebrating Diverse Women: The Jewels of the World” and in 2014 the theme was “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment.”

For more information on Women’s History month and the Public Humanities Program, please visit their site.