Student Affairs here to help

Last Monday outside the Ashe Center and on Bruin Walk, some
students distributed copies of a new magazine called The Advocate.
One student even came into the Ashe Center and distributed
copies.

In the magazine, the writers raised questions about how
university services help students who have found out they are
pregnant and are not sure about what steps to take next.

We want to take this opportunity to make sure students are
broadly aware of the services provided by the Arthur Ashe Student
Health and Wellness Center, Student Psychological Services, and
other Student Affairs counseling units (the Center for Women &
Men, the Office of Residential Life and so on) to support students
who may be facing difficult decisions regarding an unplanned
pregnancy.

Operating under the broad umbrella of the UCLA Student Affairs
organization, these services are part of an extensive range of
programs and resources designed to promote the academic success,
development and well-being of all UCLA students.

The goal of the services is to provide care and counseling that
is responsive to the needs of the UCLA student body, in partnership
with those who seek help and support.

We try to support that partnership with, among other traits,
open and sensitive communication, trust, honesty and a
non-judgmental presentation of the array of available options,
including the benefits and limitations of those options.

Responding to students’ needs requires that we remain
sensitive to and respectful of the diversity of perspectives and
values that each student, family or community brings to us.

We fully recognize that an unplanned pregnancy can present
students with difficult, confusing and emotion-laden decisions.

In this situation, our role is to help the pregnant student or
couple in key ways, such as offering support, clarifying questions
and concerns, and providing information regarding options and
resources.

The decision will always belong to the student, and our role is
to support that decision and provide appropriate services.

We are available to answer any questions and, of course, we are
happy to review the range of services and programs we offer to
ensure that we are meeting the needs and interests of all our
students.

Dawson is the interim director of the Ashe Center. Gong-Guy
is the director of Student Psychological Services.