Issues in Progress

President's Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission elected Joann McKenzie of the Office of Institutional Planning and Research as chair-elect at its Dec. 5 meeting. McKenzie, who will serve as chair in 1997-98, replaces current chair-elect Barbara Ladd of the English department faculty, who will not be able to serve as chair next year.

Commission Chair Martha Talbott said she plans to report to President Bill Chace in March on the progress of issues discussed at the Commission's Nov. 20 meeting with Chace (Emory Report, Dec. 2, 1996). Talbott said the March report will be in addition to the Commission's formal annual report to the president submitted each May.

Women's Center Director Ali Crown announced that the theme for this year's Women's History Month celebration in March will be "Women Crossing Boundaries."

The next Commission meeting is set for Thursday, Jan. 16, at 3:30 p.m. in the Women's Center.

President's Commission on the Status of Minorities
At its Dec. 9 meeting, the Commission continued a discussion from its November meeting on how to address the professional development needs of minority faculty, staff and students.

There was discussion at both the November and December meetings about the possibility of changing the name of the Commission's Minority Conference Travel Fund to focus more on professional development and less on travel per se. Also discussed was the possibility of making the fund accessible to students; currently, it is available only to faculty and staff.

Past Chair Pat Marsteller said the Conference Fund Committee normally receives $30,000 to $50,000 annually in funding requests for professional travel; the committee is given $4,500 annually to award in travel funds. Sophomore Bret Kadison said that because the College Council and Student Government Association are cutting back on similar funding for students, the Commission likely will receive more funding requests from minority students in the future.

Several Commission members said that if no increase in funding for the travel program is anticipated, the Commission should compile a listing of prospective funding sources for minority faculty, staff and students who apply to the Commission for travel funds.

Maggie Gilead of the nursing school suggested going a step beyond that and sponsoring a more comprehensive professional development workshop for minority community members, similar to a program the President's Commission on the Status of Women has offered for women faculty.

Commission Chair Bob Lee asked the Faculty Concerns Committee to develop a questionnaire to submit to minority faculty regarding their professional development needs. Lee asked that the questionnaire be prepared for distribution by Feb. 1.

Lee said that at the Commission's Jan. 27 meeting, the group will elect a chair-elect and vote on the question of whether to lengthen the current one-year term of the Commission chair.

-Dan Treadaway

President's Commission on Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual Concerns
The Commission voted to provide funds to the LGB Film Festival and an informal LGB studies group at it's Dec. 9 meeting. The Commission approved a $750 co-sponsorship of the film festival which will be held Feb. 20-22.

The Commission also approved a $200 allocation to support the activities of a group of faculty and students who meet monthly to talk about issues in LGB studies. Members of the group present work or research in progress that relates to LGB studies; the group also is interested in creating a space for LGB studies, according to co-chair Ami Mattison.

There was discussion about the Pride Banquet, which will be held March 3. The Commission approved a $500 speaker's fee for author Lev Raphael, who will speak at the dinner.

Jason Chue gave a report on the monthly coffeehouses being sponsored by the Commission. Upcoming dates for coffeehouses are Jan. 23 and Feb. 20 from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Connally House.

Leslie Harris outlined a faculty development program she hopes to begin next semester that will look at issues of sexuality in the classroom. The project will be modeled on a program on violence that the Center for Teaching and Learning conducted this semester and will consist of readings on sexuality and lectures.

Ann Rector, of the law school, was nominated as the new co-chair to replace Mattison. She will serve from January-December 1997.

-Jan Gleason

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