PCSW discusses goals, projects for 2001-02

By Stephanie Sonnenfeld ssonnen@emory.edu

Members of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) were greeted by a familiar face when they held their first meeting of the school year on Sept. 4, in 400 Administration.

Last year’s chair Deb Floyd was back at the head of the table, after agreeing to chair the commission for another year. Beth Seelig, associate professor of psychiatry, will serve as junior chair for the year, and Kim Smith, an executive assistant in the medical school, is the group’s secretary.

In committee reports, faculty concerns committee co-chairs Anne Kelley and Vicki Powers updated the group on its female faculty tenure study first endorsed by President Bill Chace last year. During the summer, representatives from Institutional Planning and Research began formal research for the study, Kelley and Powers said, adding that the two groups will meet later this month to discuss the data.

Amy Wheeler, who heads the staff concerns committee, was not at the meeting but left word that her group will meet this month and still is studying results from its flexible work schedule survey taken last year.

Student concerns committee chair Katie Smith said the group has not yet met this year but will continue to work on creating mentoring programs for students and faculty. It also plans to develop various programs for the Emory Women’s Alliance and graduate students. Smith said the group still is monitoring the need for woman-only upperclass housing.

The group then discussed its tree-planting project, announced last year to honor the PCSW’s 25th anniversary. The 25 trees will be planted at the new child care facility at Clairmont Campus. Cost for the project is estimated at $15,000, and the group is looking into fundraising opportunities. It already has about $5,000 for the project and will continue to accept donations.

Also attending the meeting were Chace, Bob Ethridge, associate vice president for Equal Opportunity Programs, and Alice Miller, vice president for Human Resources.

Miller discussed telecommuting and flex time, explaining their origins at the University and current efforts to inform as many eligible and interested employees as possible about these options. "We want to be the [alternative work schedule] vanguards in Atlanta," Miller said.

The PCSW holds its meetings on the first Thursday of each month in 400 Administration at 3:30 p.m. Its next meeting will be Oct. 4.

If you have a question or concern for PCSW, contact chair Deb Floyd at dfloyd@law.emory.edu.