Emory Report

October 19, 1998

 Volume 51, No. 8

Issues in Progress

President's Commission on the Status of Women

Chair-elect Catherine Howett-Smith announced that the PCSW's fall event will be held Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will be an "open-house" lunch at the Carlos Museum celebrating the appointment of Rebecca Chopp, Emory's first female provost.

Maureen St. Laurent reported that the faculty concerns committee is in the process of gathering information about leadership programs in higher education, one step in their efforts to look at tenure and promotion issues among women faculty. The goal is to find workshops that will help mold women for leadership positions at Emory.

The faculty concerns committee will also be examining a draft of the University policy on consentual sexual relationships, which presently doesn't include a conflict of interest statement, St. Laurent said.

Staff concerns chair Kathy Reed announced that the committee is close to a final draft of the "Invisible Barriers" survey to be conducted by phone by public health students. Training was scheduled to take place Oct. 7, with six staff concerns committee members serving as test respondents. Reed hopes 500 women will respond. Participants will be called at home to help ensure candor,

The student concerns committee continues to work on the for-credit, self-defense class and is sorting through responses from 1995-96 student focus groups to addresses any unresolved issues stemming from those discussions. New projects include a faculty-student tea at the Women's Center and a support network for women faculty, students and staff modeled on the L/G/B Office's "Safe Space" program.

Carol Burns said University administrators are leaning toward not opening a second child care center for the children of Emory employees and students but are looking into expanding Clifton Child Care when it moves from its present site. She said that it was "too premature" for the PCSW to issue a resolution surrounding the issue, but the commission agreed to "inquire about the status of the child care center and the possibility of using an existing building" in which to house children.

The commission's next meeting will be Nov. 5 in 400 Administration Building.

-Stacey Jones

 

Employee Council

President Ron Foust announced October's meeting would be changed so council members could attend Madeline Albright's lecture on Oct. 21. The new date is Oct. 28 at Grady Hospital, in conjunction with the Grady Open House.

Members then discussed what it means to be an Employee Council representative. "You are doing something that is not recognized on your performance evaluation. It doesn't affect your next pay increase. When a survey is taken in your office, no one knows who their council representative is, or what the council is or does," Foust said. "Your reward is sharing your commitment with 80 other council members. Your reward is knowing you are not alone."

The three committee chairs introduced themselves, and the council then broke into committee meetings.

Communications

The Grady Open House is Oct. 28 from 2-4 p.m. Associate Dean William Casarella of radiology will speak.

Membership

The committee suggested holding a lunchtime "Meet Your Employee Council Rep Day" in the DUC or White Hall.

Special Issues

The council's resolution concerning retirement benefits for employees under 26 was reviewed by the Senate executive committee and has been passed on to the Senate's benefits committee.

--Michael Terrazas





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