University Committee on Women
Thursday, February 8, 2001
Memorial Union
Minutes

Present: Laura Armstrong, Deb Muenchrath, Quincie Cooper, Judy Dolphin, Carla Espinoza, Rayda Krell, Lynette Hornung, Pat Miller, Elena Polouchkina, Dianne Bystrom, Nora Gresch, Nancy Knight, Erin Rosacker, Penny Rosenthal

• Minutes from January 25, 2001- approved.

·         Penny welcomed committee members and thanked Laura Bestler-Wilcox for chairing the January meeting in her absence.

·         Volunteer note taker and minute distributor – Thank you Judy Dolphin!

• Working Team Reports – Please submit brief description of working team objectives to Laura Bestler-Wilcox (bestler@iastate.edu) to be placed in the web page (Policy has completed this).

• Campus Climate – no report
• Mentoring - Survey questions currently being developed.  The subcommittee will circulate proposed questions to all UCW members for reaction and input.  Please respond when e-mailed questions arrive.  The subcommittee will do final revisions, and they will be posted on the web.  Individuals will be contacted directly by e-mail requesting them to complete the survey.
• Policy - There have been 7 to 10 e-mails as immediate responses to the announcement on ISU's "today's news" on the homepage, placed by Linda Charles.  A committee member sends acknowledgement to the individuals that the message is received.  All but one of the concerns is "leave" related.  Dianne will summarize the concerns, assure anonymity of those responding, and provide the Provost with the general nature of the questions.

Discussion of Policies:

The e-mail responses received by the UCW Policies address sparked general discussion about the confusing and conflicting policy statements at the University.  Carla explained that there are both multiple policy manuals as well as multiple procedure handbooks.  Members of UCW expressed frustration with what appears to be inconsistent treatment of employees, with regard to leave policies, from department to department.  Members also worry that a unified policy will have detrimental affect on folks where department response is more generous and flexible.  As Ellen Rasmussen, Carla, and Faye Whitaker look at updating policy, they should keep UCW informed and "in the loop" for analyzing policy drafts and ideas.  There was considerable discussion about the Faculty Senate's proposed policy handbook rewrite. The UCW is on record, and continues, to oppose having a separate sexual harassment policy in the faculty handbook.  The UCW stands firm on the entire University operating with a single sexual harassment policy.  The Provost's Advisory Committee will again take this concern to the Provost.  In addition, Penny will make contact the chair of the Faculty Senate Policy Committee to discuss our concerns.  All UCW members are urged to study the policy on the Faculty Senate webpage.  Penny will arrange that UCW website will encourage viewers to read the draft policy by clicking a link to the FS webpage.

• Provost Advisory Committee – will meet again on February 12, 2001

• Women’s Programs Committee -(now a subcommittee of UCW) is comprised of the directors of the following programs:  Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, Women's Studies, Lectures, Women in Science and Engineering, Women's Center and the YWCA.  This group met to discuss the Women's Center director search, preparing for the new president (sharing our concerns and agenda), and the Presidential search process.  Concern was raised in the subcommittee meeting and taken to the full UCW with regard to a perceived breach of confidentiality by someone on the search committee.  We believe that someone released UCW's rating of the candidates, which is clearly in violation of the confidentiality rules governing search committees, according to Carla.  It was agreed that Dianne will contact Ben Allen, chair of the search committee, to ascertain how our letter of evaluation was given to the committee members -- copies of our letter, letter read aloud, other?

• Announcements

Dianne Bystrom – Catt Center for Women and Politics

·         Nominations due March 2 for eighth annual Strong-Minded Women Awards.  Awards will be presented on Monday, April 9 at a dinner, awards ceremony and dessert reception at the Scheman Building.

·         Susan Estrich lecture 8 pm March 28

·         Recruiting for Catt Associates and Summer Leadership Workshop for high school students

Judy Dolphin – YWCA

·         YWCA will NOT hold Women of Achievement event this spring.  Instead, they have set an October 3, 2001 as the date for their luncheon and recognition of three special women.  Please hold the date!

·         Women's Center Director Search - Committee met on Feb.8 to select candidates for follow-up. Judy reported that there were 19 qualified applicants.  Six were selected for follow-up phone interviews and reference calls.  Three are in the "stand by" pool.  The search committee expects to have completed phone calls by Feb. 22.  The committee will meet either the last week of February or first week of March to report back to each other and to select candidates who will visit campus.  The committee will move with all deliberate speed, with campus interviews hopefully in March, but perhaps early April.

Laura Bestler-Wilcox – UCW Web updated and will be launched soon.  Please take a look:

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ucw/ucw_test_home.htm

TIPS Luncheon, set for March 27, will be advertised on the UCW, ISU, YWCA, and Catt Center web pages.  Paper invitations will not be mailed.  Urge individuals to register. The luncheon features Tracy Owen Patton speaking about overcoming racism and sexism on campus.

Erin reported that the Women In Athl