Center for Women and Men to be renamed RSVP

Starting on June 1, the USC Center for Women and Men will be renamed the Relational and Sexual Violence Prevention Services, or RSVP, to better reflect the resources that it offers as well as support a variety of gender identities among the student body.

As part of the Engemann Student Health Center, the CWM aims to provide counseling to victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence, as well as offer educational programs on gender-related topics. Heidi Ried-Gonzaga, the marketing and media director for Engemann’s Division of Student Affairs, said that the change was driven by a desire to include all students, not just those who identify as women or men.

“While CWM’s departmental name currently implies a space for male and female students, it misses the mark by excluding students and staff who do not identify within the gender binary,” Ried-Gonzaga said in an email to the Daily Trojan. “Having this type of center name may be an improvement from other women’s centers, which only convey a space for female students, but the title does not do justice to the USC student or staff population. In actuality, the center’s name has often been denounced as not being an inclusive space for genderqueer and transgender students.”

The services that CWM offers focus on supporting students affected by childhood sexual abuse, interpersonal violence and trauma related to sexual assault, according to Ried-Gonzaga. However, the center also provides a safe space for those struggling with their gender identity to speak to someone who can help.

“CWM has been highly effective in providing support to students who have experienced sexual assault or gender-based harm, but also assists those students who struggle with a variety of gender issues, such as struggling with societal notions and pressures related to gender constructs,” Ried-Gonzaga said.

According to Ried-Gonzaga, CWM cannot fulfill its mission until it reflects the diversity of students that seek its services.

“A center like CWM has been necessary so that students have a safe place to confidentially talk to professionally trained staff members about the issues of sexual assault, gender-based harm and many other related issues,” Ried-Gonzaga said. “With the name change to RSVP, the center hopes to reach out to even more students seeking this assistance and support.”

A formal press release will go out to USC media shortly, and all marketing materials and the CWM website will reflect the change by June 1, according to Ried-Gonzaga.

The center will also be introduced as RSVP during the summer orientations so that new and transfer students grow accustomed to the name.

RSVP staff will hold an open house to promote the new name and remind students of the services that the center offers in the fall.