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December 5 , 2005
Secretary
Magee discusses ambition with PCSW
BY Christi
Gray
The President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) welcomed
University Secretary Rosemary Magee to its Nov. 17 meeting, held
in the Jones Room of Woodruff Library.
Magee discussed the book Necessary Dreams: Ambition in Women’s
Changing Lives, by Anna Fels. The book explores the ways women view
ambition and how
they perceive their futures. After interviewing both women and men, Fels found
women more often attribute success to luck rather than talent. Also, women
who had clear plans for their future expressed a stronger sense of well-being
than those who were less focused.
Magee reflected on her own experiences, saying 30 years ago the
liberation movement was at full speed and women really did burn their
bras. “If you would have told me then that women still wouldn’t
be represented equally in leadership positions today, I wouldn’t have
believed you,” she said.
“We need to get ambitious about ambition,” Magee said. “Women
need to find a way to incorporate contemplating ambition into their lives.”
In other commission business, two new members were elected: undergraduate
Nicole Faurot and graduate student Norleena Poynter. Then, Junior
Chair-Elect Susan
Carini reported that a newly designed website is in the works.
Committee reports are as follows:
Faculty
•
Exploring the issue of nondiscriminatory harassment and how it might differentially
impact women and minorities; and
•
Working with members of other committees and noncommission members on the proposed
work-life symposium.
Staff
•
Communicating with the Georgia Nurses Association on the request for the commission
to support national and state legislation that promotes and protects a woman’s
decision to breastfeed; and
•
Analyzing public data from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to determine career advancement
across ethnicity and gender.
Student Undergraduate
•
Completed questions for a survey of students’ experiences and awareness
of resources regarding sexual assault, sexual harassment and stalking; and
•
Researching stalking policies at a minimum of five benchmark schools.
Graduate
•
Planning work-life open forum sessions to be held in
December; and
•
Documenting students’ narratives regarding their work-life experiences.
Women in Leadership
•
Investigating honorary degrees process and planning to meet with Magee on the
subject; and
•
Monitoring current open position searches, including deans of the School of
Law, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Candler School of Theology;
and vice president for communications.
The next PCSW meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 15, at 4 p.m.
in the Jones Room of Woodruff Library.
If you have a question or concern for PCSW, send e-mail to Chair
Allison Dykes at adykes@emory.edu.
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