Commission on the Status of Women
Minutes
Tuesday, March 5; 1:00 – 2:00pm
Centennial (room 320), Davies Student Center
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is charged with making recommendations to the Chancellor
regarding issues, policies, and initiatives affecting women, as well as seeking input from and providing
information to those individuals, departments, units, and organizations interested in the status of women.
ATTENDANCE: Teresa O’Halloran, Jody Schneider, Pat Karlen, Mary Canales, Deserie Evans, Judy Gatlin,
Christopher Jorgenson, Vicki Reed, Audrey Mulliner
APPROVE PAST MINUTES:
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January 31, 2013 – Not Available
February 5, 2013 – Not Available
February 21, 2013 - Approved
FUTURE MEETINGS:
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Thursday, March 28; 2-3pm (Town Hall Mtg)
Tuesday, April 9; 1-2pm
Thursday, April 25; 2-3pm (With Chancellor?)
Tuesday, May 7; 1-2pm
Ho-Chunk (320E), Davies
Ho-Chunk (320E), Davies
Ho-Chunk (320E), Davies
Ho-Chunk (320E), Davies
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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Judy announced a number of film opportunities for Women’s History Month. (Details were emailed
out.)
Chris announced a number of Women’s History Month events. Please check his website.
http://www.uwec.edu/speakout/index.htm
NEW BUSINESS:
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Discuss Town Hall Meeting:
o For our listening session this year we decided to call it a Town Hall Meeting. It will be kept
open ended and will serve as an opportunity to listen to women’s concerns and ideas.
o Chris volunteered to do the marketing—Thank you Chris!
o Please share the poster Chris already emailed out with as many people as possible! Thanks.
o Hope to see all of you there.
Girl Scout Banquet:
o Selika Ducksworth-Lawton is being honored and the University is sponsoring a table
o This event is on April 8. A table for eight has been paid for. Please email Teresa if you would
like to attend.
CONTINUING BUSINESS:
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Outsourcing of Student Health Services:
o RFP (Request for Proposal) planned for student health services: Judy Gatlin and Mary Canales
wrote a letter on behalf of the CSW to stress concerns about that we have on the outsourcing
of Student Health Services to another facility. It was sent out Monday, March 4.
o Teresa announced that the Chancellor has asked that the RFP be slowed down to provide an
opportunity for more input. Pat will send out an email requesting everyone’s
questions/concerns so that we can be prepared for when we are asked for input. NOTE: This
is going faster than I thought. PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS A CHANCELLOR’S Q&A BEING
DEVOTED TO THIS TOPIC MONDAY, MARCH 11, 12-1 IN THE MENOMONIE ROOM OF DAVIES.
PLESAE COME IF YOU CAN!
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Inclusive/Non-sexist Language Policy:
o The Inclusive/Non-sexist Language Policy committee met with the CSW. (Theresa Kemp, Dr.
Erica Benson (English), undergraduate students Casey Coughlin, Quinn Forss, and graduate
student Laura Becherer.) They reported to CSW what had been accomplished thus far.
Requested permission to send out the survey under the auspices of the CSW. Request was
granted and the survey was sent out.
o Further discussion once the results are available.
 It was recommended that CSW work with Foundation regarding donors designating contributions
directly to CSW. Robin provided the following guidance:
o Foundation Accounts Benefitting Women. Robin and Teresa will provide more information at
our next meeting on setting up a CSW link to Foundation for donations:
- University Women’s Association Emergency Grant Fund #119
- Helen’s Fund-University Women’s Association #1530
- Sarah Harder Women’s Studies Fund #1268
- Women in Higher Education Scholarship Fund #651
- Women’s New Initiatives Studies Research Award #1603
- Women’s Studies Outstanding Student Award #1605
o If donor has a particular interest they can direct their donation to CSW
o CSW should come up with specific projects we need money for then contact Foundation for a
possible contribution
o This organization has to be proactive with its ideas to attain monetary contributions
o CSW can add a “please donate to CSW” box on its website (see Foundation for guidance)
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Work/Life Balance – Employee Satisfaction:
o Further discussion of Melissa’s analysis of UW System’s work life/climate survey that was
conducted in 2009.
- Melissa handed out another analysis (attached). Discussion included:
 There is a concern about work/life balance.
 No widespread satisfaction among positions.
 Within overall satisfaction of career progress, there aren’t any known gender
effects but there is a noticeable positional effect.
 There are disparities between men and women in the acquisition of equitable
teaching support.
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The climate survey shows that faculty is least likely than academic or classified
staff to feel like they have the equipment and supplies needed to adequately
perform their work.
 Less than 50% of classified staff feels that they are lacking support from decision
makers who support their career advancement.
o Wellness Committee Update from Vicki
- City of E.C. Chamber of Commerce Wellness Program:
 What can we do to adopt it at UWEC?
 Can there be health insurance premium benefits attached to it?
 Update from Vicki on well-being incentive program that covers the 7 dimensions
of wellness next semester along with three or four healthy living workshops.
o The question remains whether CSW wants to make a recommendation to the Chancellor
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Meeting with the Chancellor—Pat emailed Jan Sloan regarding the Chancellor’s availability
o Develop a uniform family leave plan
o How can we change the culture => different chairs/directors level of family leave support
o City of E.C. Chamber of Commerce Wellness Program:
- What can we do to adopt it at UWEC?
- Can there be health insurance premium benefits attached to it?
o How can UWEC show it values its human resources:
- Free tickets to performance
- Free access to wellness-related activities & facilities
- More professional development opportunities
- Tuition benefits
- Pay equity (memo CSW sent to UPC)
- Question: What is Madison doing in this area?
o We will provide the Chancellor with a copy of Melissa’s analysis
 Climate Survey:
o UW-LaCrosse has a climate survey that they are willing to share with us. We would utilize these
questions within our own climate survey due to the amount of intent and flexibility. The earliest
we would want to send this climate survey out would next spring of 2014.
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Robin suggested CSW consider taking up the comparable worth issue:
o Robin asked if we could take up the comparable worth issue. Can we pick up where it was left
off and do an update? Per Robin’s email back in the 80’s there was a lot of activity Systemwide. After 25+ years, a report-card update might be helpful and enlightening.
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Robin suggested CSW start working on doing something special for the Centennial in 2016. CSW
members were asked to bring their ideas to meetings for consideration. So far the following ideas
have been suggested:
o Sarah Harder & Sue Lemke were instrumental in bringing women’s issues to the forefront. Look
into telling their story in some type of way. Judy will check with Archives to see if they still have
the vision document, posters and interviews that were done approximately 10 years ago.
o A quilt telling a story of where we have been and where we are going
o Melissa will send CSW a time log she did when Gloria Steinem was last on campus. We
discussed adding to the timeline.
o Discuss adding a special link to the CSW website with historical-related data, documents,
pictures, stories and time logs.
o Women of (______) building. Mitra is currently working on HSS.
o Discussed the possibility of doing a capstone project. Looking for someone to head this up.