Resource Rooms at Student Advocacy Center Offer Private Spaces for Students, Faculty and Staff

Three spaces are available within the Student Advocacy Center to meet the personal needs of students, faculty, and staff. A quiet meditation room, dressing room and expanded mother’s room are open and ready for reservations. 

“This comes from us growing and understanding our student population and wanting to support them in their success,” said Jillian Denman, director of SAC’s Student Advocacy Center.

The meditation room features individual pods containing cozy furnishings and bean bag chairs and separated by dividers.

The space will provide quiet and privacy for a variety of situations, Denman said. Sometimes students are upset and just need a place to gather themselves. Some students are looking for a private space to meditate, pray, or focus on spiritual needs.

“It’s a two-for-one space where people can de-stress, have a quiet moment or practice their religion,” Denman said.

The new dressing rooms at SAC are also multi-purpose. There are four private units, each with doors and locks. Similar to department store dressing rooms, the units include  a mirror and comfortable seating, but also offer outlets for hair dryers and styling tools. Lockers are available to store items for the day.

Students who are picking out clothes at the SAC clothes closet can use the dressing rooms to try items on. Some students are housing insecure and don’t have a place off-campus where they can get ready for class.

“They’re are open to any individuals who need a safe place to get ready for the day,” Denman said.

A transgender student made Denman realize the importance of offering a dedicated dressing area. The student felt safe on campus, but was not able to dress in their preferred clothing at home because their family disapproved. The student had been changing in their car and in campus bathrooms, but didn’t feel comfortable when people would walk in.

Denman realized that if that one student confided in her, there were probably others who faced a similar predicament.

“We want to be accepting and supportive of all,” she said. “Unfortunately not everyone feels the same, so having safe spaces where individuals can pray or change clothes and be their true selves before they go to classes is important to us.”

The Advocacy Center also added an expanded room for nursing mothers, with four private units, doors with locks, comfortable seating, lockers and a refrigerator to store supplies. Prior to the addition the center offered only one dedicated room for mothers. The expansion adds more space and facilities to support the needs of nursing mothers throughout the day.

To reserve any of the spaces, call the SAC Helpline at 210-486-1111. Walk-ins are also welcome on a space available basis.

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