University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Women

Meeting Minutes

3:00-5:00 p.m., 500 Swanlund Administration Building

1. Approval of Minutes from November 19, 2002: Minutes Approved
2. Announcements
   1. Linda Beale will replace member Roger Shanks of the Senate Equal Opportunity Committee
   2. Next meeting: February 25, 2003
3. Old Business
   1. Rape Awareness and Prevention Committee: Delegated member Michelle Pincus will provide an update on issues surrounding the rape awareness and prevention committee at the next CCSW meeting (February 25, 2003).
   2. CCSW/announcement/flyer update: Delegated member Lakeisha Johnson designed and presented the CCSW informational flyer. The flyer, which will replace "traditional postcards," was designed for individuals without dedicated computers. The flyer contains information on the committee, recent accomplishments and current activities, as well as meeting dates. The flyer will be distributed to all deans, directors, and department heads as the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana campus.
4. New Business
   1. Flexible appointment for faculty: Guests Meg Calkins, David Daniel, and Susan Larson discussed the need for action concerning faculty retention and part-time tenure track. Dean of Engineering, David Daniel reported that the UIUC campus is below average for retention of women faculty. Daniel believes the inability of the university to create or adapt a part-time tenure-track positions is a contributing factor. Visiting Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, Meg Calkins, is an example of a part-time faculty member who could benefit from part-time tenure and/or job-sharing. Meg Calkins, whose husband is a full-time faculty member in the School of Architecture, has recently requested a spousal hire from the Department of Landscape Architecture. Calkins is currently awaiting a response from her department. Director of Women in Engineering, Susan Larson, reported that Women in Engineering have submitted a grant to the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF grant, if funded, would be used to increase participation and advancement of Women in Engineering. Additionally, with the aid of the grant, Susan Larson hopes to offer positions that will allow tenure-track or tenured faculty to move from full-time to part-time and vice versa. Part-time faculty would only be required to do minimal service. The program that may be developed through the NSF grant, will be designed as a recruiting tool, and could potentially be taken advantage of by both men and women. Additionally, the program could serve as a prototype for departments across campus.
   2. Analyze deficiencies and improve women's restrooms: Delegated member Deanie Brown discussed and distributed a spreadsheet report summarizing surveys taken by custodial staff examining the conditions of restrooms throughout campus. The report included restroom location, gender, no-touch sinks and toilet information. The report also examined issues specific to women restrooms. Information such as the presence and location of sanitary napkin disposals, breastfeeding stations, and family areas were noted. Deanie will provide the committee with a complete update as well as a summary report at the next meeting.
   3. Mentoring Initiatives: Delegated member Kathleen Pecknold reported that Provost Richard Herman recently sent a letter to all Deans regarding mentoring for junior faculty. The letter stressed the importance of mentoring and the need of individual units to report back to the Provost on this issue.