Meeting Minutes: September 1996

12 September 1996

Present: Heising, Phye, Conner, Schultz, Henning, Vegge, Morgan, Messer, Evans, Theile, Dolphin, Chervinko, Naylor-Ojurongbe, Walker, Vivian, Miller, Galyon, Constant, Brooks, Bystrom, Zanish

Nancy reported on the summer meeting that she, Kris Gerhard, and Tanya Zanish had with the Provost and Faye Whitaker. The Provost stated that he would like to see a new emphasis on recognition for women staff and faculty.

Announcements (Celia): There will be a teleconference (September 28) to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Beijing Conference. There will be a variety of perspectives as well as discussion of what we can do in Iowa. Will be meeting in the Gallery of the Memorial Union from 11:30-4.Celia handed out a brochure on sexual assault and what to do.

Dianne Bystrom introduced herself and spoke about the plans for the Carrie Chapman Center for Women in Politics:

1. Reorganize
2. Continue with projects already planned
3. Continue newsletter
4. Sponsor African-American Suffrage Lecture on October 24 in the Sun Room in the Memorial Union as well as the International Voices Series
5. Sponsor a Spring Conference, February 28-March 1
6. Continue scholarship program
7. Continue the Catt Associates program
8. Work on creating a center/resource of women's political speeches with input from the Library 9. Utilize technology/Develop World Wide Web page
10. Work on voter coalition project -- there will be a "Get Out the Vote" meeting at the Ames Public Library, 9-12 on October 5.
11. There will also be Debate 96 meeting to view the Presidential debates and discuss the outcome
12. Nancy Kassebaum will be on campus, October 14-15

Women's Studies Program (Linda): There has been authorization for a national search for a Director.

Women's Week will be October 7-12. Will also be Coming Out Week and the Week Without Violence. The Women's Center has brochures (4-4154) if anyone would like some. October 11 - Angela Davis will be speaking at the Memorial Union in the evening.

Nancy sent around a memo for UCW members to request a memo of support for their UCW service.

Nancy then set out identifying sub-committees and task forces, and their duties and projects.

Sub-Committee on Special Events (Celia and Pat): Coordinates the Women in Touch series, usually a lunch or breakfasts. Also worked on the Gender Equity Forum with the Gender Equity sub-committee.

Sub-Committee on Searches (Mary Ann): This sub-committee tracks various searches and makes recommendations to the search committees.N ancy noted that Tanya will be serving as the UCW representative on the Search Committee for the Director of University Relations. She also thinks that the Committee needs to work on networking and utilize former members of the Committee to attend presentations, etc..

Sub-Committee on Membership (Stephanie): Responsible for advertising membership, soliciting nominations, and making recommendations to the Provost.

Sub-Committee on Awards and Recognition: Will be acquiring information about potential awards in the university. Nancy stated that UCW had nominated Mary Ann Evans for a 1996 Prism Award.

Sub-Committee on Publications Monitoring: Focuses on articles, etc. pertaining to women, make recommendations, and respond via letters to the editor.

TASK FORCES:
Task Force on Race (Judy): this task force focuses on support for speakers, monitoring publications for articles pertaining to race, and has formed a white womenĚs reading group. There was a brief discussion about forming study circles on race relations. This task force also worked on purchasing a brick for Barbara Jordan and having a plaque (written by Uche) installed in Catt Hall concerning the suffrage movement and its treatment of the race issue. These projects were not fulfilled, but the task force hopes to continue working on them.

Task Force on Isolation (Mary Ann): this task force met last spring to brainstorm and will be meeting again soon.

Task Force on Safety (Nancy): This task force will focus on personal/professional issues as well as basic security. There was then a discussion concerning creating a networking list of interested women, working more with the University Diversity Committee, and the budget for the UCW. The budget has been increased this year.

Stephanie reported on the Way Up Conference and stated that she is still willing to serve as a contact. The conference will be held November 7-8 in Waterloo.

There will also be a suffrage conference the last weekend in September held at the University of Iowa.Mary Ann announced that the groundbreaking for the new child care facility at Vet Med will be at 11:00 on September 16.

Celia passed out copies of Uhuru with articles on the Carrie Chapman Catt controversy.There was then a brief discussion of Women in Touch topics to be held in November, February, and April. Some of the topics include gardening, gender communication, humor/creativity in the workplace, writing in Iowa, handling change in the workplace.

Finally, it was noted that Wayne Richey is leaving the Board of Regents, and state government is taking this opportunity to look at the organizationĚs structure.

The meeting adjourned at 12:00.

Respectfully submitted,
Tanya L. Zanish