Commission on the Status of Women
Minutes
Friday, September 7; 2:00 – 3:00pm
Room: Little Niagara, Davies
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.
PRESENT: Chris Jorgenson, Theresa Kemp, Emily Vanlandschoot, Vicki Reed, Kate Hinnant,
Mitra Sadeghpour, Manda Riehl, Mary Canales, Melissa Bonstead-Bruns, Sanjukta Chaudhuri,
Pat Karlen, Judy Gatlin, Robin Leary.
APPROVAL OF PAST MINUTES: (PASSED)
April 20, 2012
May 4, 2012
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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WHEEL Conference: Everyone is encouraged to consider going!
Check out the CSW website: http://www.uwec.edu/CSW/index.htm
-Provide CSW with suggested changes
Pat sent email to CSW about conference for the Wisconsin Public Health Association
-Encourages women to participate in leadership roles.
-Scholarships are available
-Focuses mainly on public health policy
-The ‘institute’ will be held in Madison, WI.
NEW BUSINESS:
 Meetings will be one hour. Need to discuss time and days with corresponding alternatives.
-Pat will send out an email asking for availability
 It was recommended that we invite the Interim Chancellor to our 2nd meeting in the fall.
- It was agreed to discuss the climate survey at our next meeting. It was agreed to then meet
with the Chancellor at a subsequent meeting so we can discuss this issue and other topics
CSW will be working on for the year
-Establish better dialogue between interim chancellor and the new chancellor.
-We would like to set up a meeting with the search committee.
 Discussed the possibility of an introduction to the results of the climate survey by Mary and Melissa at
the 2nd meeting.
 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 talk to Sarah.
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 Add a special link to the CSW website with historical-related data, documents, pictures, stories
and time logs
CONTINUING BUSINESS:
 It was recommended that CSW work with Foundation regarding donors designating contributions
directly to CSW. CSW agreed to work on this. Robin provided the following guidance:
-If donor has a particular interest they can direct their donation to CSW
- CSW should come up with specific projects we need money for then contact Foundation for
a possible contribution
-this organization has to be proactive with its ideas to attain monetary contributions
-CSW can add a “please donate to CSW” box on its website (see Foundation for guidance)
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Encourage Faculty across Disciplines to Consider and Highlight the Role of Women in the Discipline:
CSW recommended this discussion continue.
o Make it obvious who our women’s studies affiliates are—link to CSW website—Pat assignment
o Look into CETL/ORSP workshops
o Start with a capstone class
o Have a student go through all UWEC websites—looking for gender neutrality—Teresa reported
this is in progress and going well
o Add to CSW a link where people can report non-gender neutrality website issues—Pat
assignment
o Piggyback issues of gender with collection of resources document
o Teresa let us know the sad news that Aaronette White has passed. She gave a talk on African
Feminism: The Personal is Political and Global on March 29. We were very lucky to have had
her as a guest speaker. Thank you Aaronette for your contribution to our cause!
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Re-organizing the College of Arts and Sciences: CSW’s concern about wage differentials by discipline
groups. Teresa reported that an advisory committee will be put together to look into it and that the
Academic Policies Handbook defines the process. It was decided that this issue does not need to be on
our agendas since it is currently a non-issue.
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Work/Life Balance – Employee Satisfaction: CSW recommended this discussion continue.
o Mary and Melissa will provide their analysis of the work life/climate survey at our next meeting
o Teresa is going to forward an employee environment document asking for comments.
o Wellness Committee
o Tuition benefits—Syracuse and Vermont
o Children’s Center Committee--update from Traci Thomas-Card
o The question remains whether CSW wants to make a recommendation to the Chancellor
o Work/Life Research—update from Teresa, Kristina, Melissa, Vicki
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EDI: CSW recommended this discussion continue. Mary Canales is EDI Fellow
o Teresa: report on the Committees’ progress this past summer: how to tie the Inclusive
Excellence plan with the Strategic Plan and will develop the action plan/priorities.
o Teresa shared that the Chancellor’s Diversity Advisory Committee has drafted an Inclusive
Excellence plan for the campus. It will be reviewed by the Dismantling Racism group Friday
March 9 and shared w/the Faculty Senate Tuesday, March 13. CSW will be able to review it in
the near future.
o History/Background: UW System uses to require a 10 year diversity plan from every campus;
although these 10 year plans no longer required, System did request an ongoing plan. For
UWEC, this includes the Equity Scorecard system, which provides guidance for the plan’s
measures; an introduction and 4 pages outlining 4 goals and examples for how to reach each
goal. This plan mimics the framework of the University’s Strategic Plan. In addition there will be
annual action steps to be accomplished.