Anniversary celebration
top priority for PCSW

By Stephanie Sonnenfeld ssonnen@emory.edu

The President's Commission on the Status of Women will be 25 years old next month, and commission members are in the midst of planning an appropriate ceremony.

Chair-elect Kathy Reed, who is coordinating anniversary activities, said the commission will celebrate its birthday throughout the day on April 26. A luncheon event will include President Bill Chace's presentation of the annual PCSW writing awards, followed by a panel discussion on the commission's history. Reed said the panel will be made up of past and current PCSW members, as well as faculty, alumna and staffers who have witnessed the birth and growth of the group.

There will be a reception in the evening, with the English department's Martine Brownley giving a retrospective view of the status of women in a larger social context. The event also will honor PCSW members and chairs from throughout its first 25 years.

Reed also said PCSW will plant 25 trees next to the new child care center at University Apartments. More details on the exact planting date will be announced at an upcoming meeting, she said.

In other business, Molly O'Brien and Vicki Powers of the faculty concerns said they will soon meet Susan Frost, vice provost for institutional planning and research, to begin mapping out how to conduct and run the survey on women faculty and tenure. The staff concerns committee is beginning to examine data on alternative work schedules.

Student concerns co-chair and newly elected Student Government Association President Anna Manasco announced the formation of a women's task force, designed to address issues facing women students. She said she hopes to have a task force member attend PSCW meetings and have a PCSW student concerns committee member attend the task force meetings.

Student concerns co-chair Liz Stiles added that more than 500 used cell phones were donated through the recent cell phone drive to benefit domestic abuse victims.

Chair Deb Floyd reminded members to put the word out about the commission’s annual writing competition. Two $250 awards for graduate or professional student work concerning women, gender or feminist theory will be awarded. Papers must have been written between March 2000 and March 2001, and entries must be submitted by a current Emory student. Deadline for entries is Friday, March 23. Three copies of the paper should be sent to Floyd in the law school.

For more information on the contest, visit www.emory.edu/PCSW/writing_award_competition.htm.

The next PCSW meeting will be Thursday, April 5, in 400 Administration.

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