03/30/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Sarah Mae Rine “Between Commitment and Practice: Racial Equity and Engagement In Campus-based Women’s Centers.”

Candidate: Sarah Mae Rine
Degree: Doctoral- Ph.D. Leadership in Education
Defense Date: April 10, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: HSSB 451
Thesis/Dissertation Title: "Between Commitment and Practice: Racial Equity and Engagement In Campus-based Women’s Centers”

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Phitsamay Sychitkokhong Uy, Ed.D. Interim Chair, Associate Professor, & Co-director of Center for Asian American Studies
  • Committee Member: Jill Hendrickson, Ph.D. Professor, Research and Evaluation in Education; Associate Head of the Graduate School
  • Committee Member: Susan Marine, Ph.D. Professor & Program Director, EdD Program in Educational Leadership

Abstract

Over 50 years ago, campus-based women's centers were born out of advocacy and the intention of improving campus climate; not all women were included. Today, these same centers are still struggling with inclusion, despite women of color representing a growing presence on college campuses. Despite these ongoing challenges, research on women’s centers remains limited, and even less focus on women of color in these spaces.
Women’s centers function as institutional agents and utilize both virtual and on-campus methods of engagement. While these centers are creating important engagement opportunities, more research is needed to understand how inclusive engagement can expand opportunities for meaningful connection and belonging. Such engagement not only connects students to the centers but also strengthens their sense of belonging on campus.

This three-article dissertation explores engagement through various mechanisms. Article 1 shares findings from a mixed-methods survey on engagement strategies and barriers. Article 2 analyzes women’s centers' Instagram accounts to identify patterns in how they communicate public engagement. Article 3 investigates mission statement language through a document analysis of publicly accessible statements. Overall, these studies show that women’s centers do important work; however, engagement is not always consistent across structures, public representation, and formal language. The aim of this study is to support women’s centers by raising awareness, offering reflection tools, providing recommendations, and expanding scholarship on women of color within women’s centers.