University Committee on Women

Minutes from September 15, 2003

144 Durham

Present: Liz Beck, Jackie Litt, Penny Rice, Karen Zunkel, Claudia Baldwin, Amy Bix, Virginia Blackburn, Rita Marinko, Beth Brockmann, Jaye Stefani, Janet Tait, Debra Covey, Lee Furbeck, Georgia Hale, Marie Mayer, Kristine Phelps, Camille Sloan Schroeder, Katie Pope, Susan Carlson, Sheley Johnson

I. Introductions
Introduction of members.

II. Subcommittee Reports

Faculty Status/Advance Grant—Diane Debinski
Debinski reported that Professor Joan Williams is scheduled to speak, Thursday, October 9 at 3:30 p.m., about equity and diversity. The Advance Grant has also scheduled a retreat with focus groups at Reiman Gardens on Wednesday, October 29.

Institutional Data—Liz Beck
Beck reported that collecting information on women is being done, but it is not worked out to whom the report goes to, and how they are going to work with the recommendations. Beck has a meeting with Carla Espinoza next week to discuss this further.

The committee also discussed the exit interview process. The question was asked, “Why are the exit interviews just for faculty leaving and not also for P&S or Merit employees who leave?” Currently there is a system that is being worked on to interview the students when they leave ISU, but there has never been a system in place for P&S or Merit. An exit interview system would be beneficial to departments for many reasons. They would gain useful information about specific reasons people have left a position. This may go hand in hand with helping many of the grievance issues. A generic report could be distributed to all departments.

P & S—Penny Rice
The subcommittee discussed several opportunities to collaborate with the P&S Council including: collaborating on the Compensation & Benefits subcommittee; the “Women’s Ways” Mentor Program; and the P&S Professional Development Day.

Merit—Janet Tait/Penny Rice
The Merit subcommittee met and several issues surfaced that were specifically focused on issues of hostile work environment and harassment. There was discussion about ways to help women in the merit system who may need help in identifying issues and bringing them forward, including making them aware of the university’s policy on harassment and discrimination and the names and roles of the assistors who are trained to help employees who believe they are facing harassment or discrimination.

The Committee noted how important it is that the university policy on harassment and discrimination be more visible to all employees and that the policies be backed up by regular and ongoing training workshops. The subcommittee will explore the possibility of conducting a campus survey.

Task force on Non-Tenure Track Faculty—Claudia Baldwin
Baldwin requested to step down as chair of this subcommittee at this time. Virginia Blackburn stated that she will help organize this subcommittee until there is a replacement. This subcommittee will continue to stay on top of the issue of non-tenure track faculty.

Graduate Students—Penny Rice
Rice reported that subcommittee’s main focus was narrowed to the question, “What orientation program, if any, do the colleges provide incoming women graduate students?”

Discussion occurred about the new policy concerning the distribution of Graduate College funded graduate tuition scholarships and the impact this could have on the whether graduate students could afford this level of education. The committee had data on the gender breakdown of RA’s and TA’s but not anything about AA’s. This category of graduate students might be the most at risk for receiving tuition scholarships paid by units. AA’s may also have a higher percentage of women than men and thus, women graduate students may be more at risk for continued study than males. The subcommittee plans to look at the number of AA’s, and how many of those are women?

Network/Mentoring---Pat Miller
Brockman and Sloan Schroeder reported that the subcommittee meeting resulted in several ideas:

• Salad Luncheon w/great speaker: perhaps each college sponsors a reception and/or speaker.
• T.G.I.T.—(thank goodness it’s Thursday) at Hotel at Gateway Center
• Admission is to bring a gal pal. “Let go of your day….” Theme?
• Ask Gateway for dinner at Audubons, overnight stay as door prizes.
• Social Breakfast—Muffins and fruit sponsored by college or UCW
• Home women’s basketball game social outing—who might sponsor a refreshment hour before the game?
• Pat Miller has another possibility from the discussion she had at the Women’s Leadership Consortium: “Connie Post reported that the faculty senate committee on women and minorities will focus on developing a meeting to introduce newly hired women faculty to the new Promotions and Tenure document. Discussion took place about connecting the activities of W & M with the UCW committee on mentoring new faculty. Pay Miller and Connie Post will discuss the possibility of holding a “social event” before or after the meeting.”
• United Way—It was discussed to take part in a United Way project. One suggestion was the North Child Care Center. It is scheduled to open in February. If anyone has any ideas, send them to Brockmann or Sloan Schroeder.

Title IX/Athletics—Penny Rice
The subcommittee is exploring the possibilities of sponsoring another Women’s Basketball game. They will also will pursue the possibility of a Series of Women’s Athletic events. The next subcommittee meeting is scheduled for October 2 at p.m., Nook, Memorial Union.

III. Old Business
Arrival of Children/Board of Regents lunch meeting—Susan Carlson
Carlson reported that the Arrival of Children was not on the agenda for the September meeting of the Board of Regents. The meeting that UCW had scheduled to meet with the women members of the Board of Regents to discuss UCW’s support of the proposed pilot program for the arrival of children was cancelled. Carlson will try to reschedule a joint meeting the next time the Board of Regents meets in Ames.

Search Committees----Liz Beck
Beck noted that no one is signed up for this subcommittee. There are quite a few high level searches coming up. UCW should be active and visible in three areas related to these searches: 1.) nominating qualified women for the candidate pool; 2,) be represented and ask questions at the open meetings and/or sessions for women and minorities; and 3.) be active in feedback to the search committees regarding candidates stands on issues affecting women.

Beck reported that the Women’s Leadership Consortium might be a better group to organized efforts related to searches and she will take it to them.

IV. New Business
Review of College of Veterinary Medicine—Claudia Baldwin
Baldwin reported that she has agreed to head a committee to review the College of Veterinary Medicine. This is good time to complete the review since the dean will be completing his tenure and the search has started for a new dean.

Announcements
Speaker: Denise Denton—September 22 nd
Speaker: Joan Williams---Oct 10 th
Women’s Week Art Exhibits at Memorial Union:
Women’s Health: A Bigger Picture—December 11-Jan 12, Pioneer Room,
Wendy Rolfe: Painted Prayers—December 5-Jan 20, Gallery

Next Meeting: Monday, October 20, 3 – 4:30 pm, Howe Hall—Room 1235

Recorded by Sheley Johnson