University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Women

Meeting Minutes

December 2, 2003

I. Announcements

A. Please mark your calendars for our next meeting date:  Tuesday, January 27, 2004, 3:00-5:00 pm
    @ 500 Swanlund Administration Building.

II. Old Business

A. Approval of October 28, 2003, Minutes with revisions.

B. Rape Awareness and Prevention Committee - CCSW Undergraduate Student Representative update
    by Annice Fisher

1. No report as committee has not met thus far.   First meeting is scheduled for Tuesday,
    December 9, 2003.  Will report at January 27 meeting.

C. Senate Equal Opportunity Committee - CCSW Representative update by Linda Beale

1. No report, as representative was not in attendance.

D. CCSW Flyer - report by Secretary Marcy Townsend

1. Completed, and distributed to committee for approval.  With minor revisions, flyer was
    approved and will be distributed campuswide.

III. New Business

A. Review of parking garages, parking lots, and how safety issues for women are being addressed -
    Pam Voitik, Director of Campus Services

1. Pam Voitik was not in attendance, and therefore, could not share her knowledge with
    us; however, CCSW openly discussed their concerns.

2. Patricia Morey mentioned that she had just recently received an e-mail from
    Melissa Mitchell, Editorial Associate of UIUC's News Bureau voicing her experiences
    and concerns on parking and safety.  She currently parks in the Fourth and Daniel
    parking garage and is assigned to a spot on the first floor.  However, as her spot is
    frequently occupied by another vehicle, she commonly parks on the upper levels.  By
    having to use the garage's stairwells and/or elevators to get to her car at night, her sense
    of security has suffered.

3. What can CCSW do about this issue?

a. Jacque Kahn suggested that we publicize people's first hand thoughts and
    comments.  Simply saying that people do not like the University's parking
    garages, she explains, does not make a firm enough point.

b. Lynda Cabrales suggested that we send out a letter voicing CCSW's
    concerns with parking safety to Campus Parking Services.

4. Further discussion will take place at a later date when Pam Voitik is present to help guide
    future steps of action.

B. Update on campus safety issues - Melody McDaniel, Supervisor for Building Services -
     Housing Division

1. Melody McDaniel was not in attendance, however, will report at a future meeting.

C. Review of current status of women's spaces on campus - Jacque Kahn, Associate Director of
    Women's Studies

1. Jacque Kahn noted that although there is nothing currently being proposed to the
    University, there have been many attempts in the past 15 years.

2. In the mid- to late-1980s, the Women's Studies Program proposed the construction of a
    Center for Research and Teaching for Women to house both administrative and
    academic spaces.

a. This proposal was denied, and criticisms of the proposal included that it
    was too large and lacked a clear mission and direction.  Most importantly,
    Women's Studies was trying to house everything, including minority
    programs in a single entity, something that is nearly impossible to
    successfully accomplish.

3. The original proposal was revised in accordance to given criticisms and put up again for
    approval.  Again, it was denied.

4. University of Illinois in Chicago proposed something notably similar to UIUC's second
    proposal and in fact approved.  Currently called the Center for Research for Gender and
    Women, the facility has proven extremely prosperous and advantageous to the
    University.

5. The Women's Studies House, currently on Sixth and Chalmers, has grown far too small
    for its growing program.  Most noticeably is a need for space for students to study and
    hold events.

6. Although the original students who assisted in gathering information and research to back
    the 1980s proposals have graduated and are unable to be located, Jacque Kahn noted
    that much of that research had been documented and is stored at the Women's Studies
    House.  She will look through those documents and report at the next meeting.

7. Patricia Morey suggested that any needed research could be done by current Women's
    Studies students as an independent study and awarded credit for their work.

8. Jacque Kahn remembered that the students focused their research through comparison
    of our Women's Studies program to other Big 10 Universities and their respective
    programs.

9. Kathryn Anthony mentioned the fact that Wellesley College has an exceptional facility,
    The Center for Research on Women, to accommodate their Women's Studies Program. 
    Scholars travel from far and wide to study Women's Studies.  UIUC could potentially
    benefit similarly, especially given our extensive library.

10. Carol Bresnahan asked if the program had completed a 5 year plan Jacque Kahn
      explained that they had in fact completed both a 5 year and a 10 year plan aimed to
      define the amount of space needed to function at an optimum level.

11. Since we know what the program needs, the issue remains in how to raise adequate
      funds to support this expansion.  As the program is relatively new to the University, a
      smaller group of alumni exist than any other program in the University.

a. It was suggested that perhaps by defining exactly what Women's Studies is,
    people, women in particular, may be better inclined to donate specifically
    to that program.

b. Sororities on campus also hold potential in fundraising for the program. 
    Panhellenic Council could possibly assist in publicizing the efforts and
    organizing events.

D. Open discussion and updates on Commitment to Action Chart

1. Joyce Wright reported that the situation with the women's restroom toilet stall in the
    upper level of the Undergraduate Library has finally been remedied and is operable once
    again.

2. Carol Bresnahan reported that although she has not met with Linda Beale and
    Kathleen Pecknold thus far, she will report at the January meeting.

3. Kathryn Anthony informed the Committee that Carol Livingstone of DMI will speak at
    our February meeting on her analysis of faculty women's salary and salary equity.

4. Joyce Wright noted that she will be going on sabbatical for the months of February and
    March, but will return for our April meeting to report on her research findings on women
    administrators of color.

5. Marcy Townsend informed the Committee that she has identified the process used to
    replace old and furnish new speaking podiums to the University, as well as individuals
    instrumental in the success of this process.  She will report at the next meeting with further
    findings.

E. Other Items

1. Cheryl Bullock, of the Office of Instructional Resources, discussed some interesting
    findings in her most recent research in analyzing ICES forms filled out by students in the
    Engineering College.  Most notably were the discrepancies found in male student
    responses to male and female professors.  The ICES forms discussed were from identical
    courses, given at different times by both male and female professors in engineering. 
    Although this report was given to the Committee strictly from her memory of the research
    findings, she will give a more formal report at a later meeting.