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Abstract
Womens centers play a critical role on college campuses. They provide education, support, leadership development, and advocacy. This multi-site case study explored the reorganization of womens centers by answering these three questions 1) through what process was the womens center reorganized, 2) how did reorganization impact the womens center, and 3) how did the womens center navigate reorganization? Using Kathleen Mannings organizational frames as the theoretical framework for this study the researcher found that 1) on each of the campuses the decision to reorganize was initially made by one or more upper-level administrators, 2) institutions and divisions use multiple organizational frames and as a result womens centers had varying amounts of input or influence into the reorganization process. Womens centers experienced a wide range of impacts including shifts in physical locations, the merging of centers, changes in staffing, and changes to budgets. The three womens centers each utilized a feminist organizing framework and this organizing principle continued as each center responded to the reorganization emphasizing transparency, open communication, and non-hierarchical decision-making. Throughout reorganization, the staff members and students served by the womens center experienced a sense of loss, fear, and fatigue. Womens center staff members spoke about both the importance of intersectionality and of navigating tensions around intersectionality, particularly on the campuses where identity-based centers were merged. Throughout each of the reorganizations, staff members of the womens centers persisted in working towards advancing women on their campuses.