Report to the Staff Senate

Report to the Staff Senate

Commission on the Status of Women Meeting – Dec. 2, 2005

Chair’s Report: Chair Michelle Clemons stated that the Executive Committee is working on goals for 2006, and that a Commission Handbook has been created to provide new members with some background on the COSW. The COSW will have one representative on the Search Committee for the Associate Vice President for Human Resources, but we’re not sure yet who will be selected as our representative. There was also some discussion about the student outcry surrounding the campus visits by the Genocide Awareness Project. Some concerned students had requested a hearing by the COSW and CODRE, but COSW would prefer that the students meet with DPS, University Counsel, and Student Life regarding these issues. This meeting was to be held on the 6th of December.

Child Care Committee: RFPs are out and bids are due back soon. The Committee was to try to meet again this month. A Child Care Forum was held in Access, and was attended by 20 people. Child Care will also be the topic of a public debate by the UofL Debate Team in March 2006.

CODRE: CODRE is undergoing reorganization, and their future is uncertain. Even if CODRE disbands, or eliminates the subgroups, the COSW would like to keep the Diversity Committee portion going.

Public Safety: Wayne Hall of DPS announced that about 20vehicles were broken into during the morning hours on campus in late November. They have assigned more security to the 4th Street lot for now, and will install more cameras. The Ekstrom Library Project has also requested that 2 officers to assigned to Ekstrom. DPS is requesting funding for a total of 18 additional officers.

Women’s Center: Dr. Laura Schweitzer was awarded the Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Award for Gender Equity work, and the Nichols Professional Development Award went to: Asma Alwadidi, Sonya Borton, Cynthia Conley, Robert Plienis, and Candice Michelle Thomas.

The Center Director discussed the Women’s Center’s Alternative Spring Break, centering on the sea islands along the S. Carolina, Georgia, and north Florida coasts. This diversity project will be held in conjunction with a reparations class taught by David Owen. The future of the PEACC Program is still uncertain, but it is hoped that UofL will commit to sustaining the program, even in the absence of federal funds. At this point, there is no money in the 2006-07 budget to support PEACC. There is also a possibility that PEACC could be brought under DPS as a “victim’s advocacy” group.

Submitted by Marsha Shields