On April 1, 2025, members of the Sexual Violence Advisory Committee were informed that Winona State University had decided to terminate its contract with the Advocacy Center of Winona (ACW). Terminating this contract would mean an end to the OASIS Center and Winona State would no longer have an on-campus confidential advocate.
Budget cuts have been plaguing the entire Minnesota State system, leading to the cutting of departments, faculty and resources. Winona State is no exception and the OASIS Center is an unfortunate casualty.
The OASIS Center, a resource on campus for student survivors of sexual violence, domestic abuse and stalking, has been located in Gildemeister since Spring of 2022. The center is staffed by an employee of the ACW who acts as a confidential advocate.
The ACW’s number one goal is to keep the interests of survivors the priority. They provide legal assistance, medical assistance, medical accompaniment and help with lease breaking. With 50 years of experience, they understand how to best help survivors in whatever situation they may find themselves in. Their role is not to be a lawyer, a doctor or a therapist but to allow a survivor to get their power back.
Previously, Winona State provided an advocate on campus that was employed by the university. That model did not work for the university as the advocate was a mandated reporter and was not 100% confidential.
Under former President Olsen, now Chancellor Olsen, Winona State pivoted to a model where confidential services are contracted. The OASIS Center was born, providing students a space where they could receive care and support on their terms.
Crystal Hegge, the executive director at the ACW, has been working with Winona State to keep the OASIS Center running. The OASIS Center and the confidential advocate being separate from the school allows them to do things that Winona State can’t.
“We can do a domestic violence lease break for a student who is not living on campus. That is not a service that the university provides. We’re able to navigate a student’s experience both on campus and off campus,” Hegge said.
Through funding from Student Senate and a transitional grant, the OASIS Center was able to remain open for the 2025-2026 academic year. However, the funding received did not meet their typical operating costs. The center has had to reduce their hours and cut some of their core services because of the deficit.
Through bimonthly meetings with Denise McDowell, the vice president for student life and development, Hegge has been searching for grants or foundations to keep the OASIS Center open past June 2026.
“We’ve had a number of meetings this academic year that are not fruitful in funding. I’ve expressed this to everybody at this point, the foundation funding model is not reliable for core services,” Hegge said. “Trying to find a foundation that’s going to fit in for the core services is going to be difficult, not impossible, but it’s going to be difficult. It’s likely not going to happen for the next academic year. The university really has to think about what the backup plan is going to be.”
The OASIS Center is not the only resource on campus for students. The Title IX office, counseling services and an on-campus sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) are all available. However, these services can only do so much.
“Title IX is not the same as an advocate. The confidentiality is different. The requirements of the individual are different. There’re really terrible things that individuals do to each other, but that doesn’t always mean it’s a reportable crime offence. There are absolutely things that Title IX can do that we can’t do. That’s why they’re there for the students in that capacity but it’s not the same as a confidential advocate,” Hegge said.
The OASIS Center and the ACW can be with an individual throughout the entire recovery process, no matter what that means for the individual.
Karina Kpahn, a fifth-year public health major and the co-president of the reproductive justice club, is hurt by the news that this resource is potentially being taken off-campus.
“The message that I am getting is that the school doesn’t listen to survivors. In the spring we had hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni sign a petition about how important this resource is. We had students come to a Student Senate meeting on April 7 where Senator Kendra McClure presented a resolution to fund the contract with the Advocacy Center of Winona,” Kpahn said.
During this student senate meeting, Senator Kendra McClure gave a statement regarding the news of the funding cuts. She viewed the cuts as Winona State taking a step backward in their support of students. “I fear that this action will culminate an environment where the wellbeing of survivors is not prioritized, and perpetrators are not held accountable. Without this resource on our campus, I would not be sitting here among my fellow senators,” McClure said.
If a grant or foundation is not found before the end of this years contract, the OASIS Center will be forced to close it’s doors for the 2026-2027 academic year. Even if funding is secured, the OASIS Center would be operating on a year by year basis if the school does not provide the necessary funding.
McDowell has been at the forefront of the budget cuts and the ramifications that are being felt around campus.
“You don’t have to go far to hear [people on campus] talking about the strains in their departments or in their programs because of the budget cuts. But what are we going to exchange? What do we stop doing? The conversation is difficult,” McDowell said.
The uncertainty of the OASIS Center’s future has left many students feeling unheard and unsupported. Amid a government shutdown with no end in sight and further cuts to the Department of Education, Winona State may have more difficult conversations ahead of them. The decision of what to cut, what to keep and how to ensure students feel seen, heard and supported on campus will be an ongoing debate at Winona State.
