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August 30, 2002
Committee on women founded 30 years ago
by Linda Charles
For three decades, the University Committee on Women (UCW) has watched out
for women on campus -- initiating studies on gender issues, hosting lecture
series and providing guidance to university leaders.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, UCW members invite the campus community to help
celebrate the committee's 30th anniversary at the annual welcome of new
women faculty and staff. The event will be in the Brunnier Art Museum,
Scheman Building, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., with a short program beginning at
4:30 p.m. Provost Ben Allen and UCW chair Liz Beck will speak. President
Gregory Geoffroy also will attend.
Positive steps
The committee first met in January 1972, under a charge from George
Christensen, then vice president for academic affairs, to make a "thorough
study of the status of women at all levels of the university" and recommend
"positive steps that the university should take to ensure the current status
of women." The committee reports to the Office of the Provost.
Early committee recommendations resulted in creation of a women's center, a
women's study curriculum and celebration of the first women's week on
campus.
Controversy erupts
One effort by UCW led to controversy on campus. In 1990, working with the
Ames League of Women Voters, UCW promoted renaming Old Botany to honor ISU
alumna Carrie Chapman Catt, who led the successful campaign to give American
women the vote.
Protesters claimed Catt used racist and xenophobic arguments in the suffrage
campaign. Catt supporters disagreed, maintaining that Catt fought a move to
exclude black women from the vote and worked for world peace. The campus
debate resulted in several forums and rallies, but in 1995, the building
officially was renamed.
Over the years, a continuing issue for UCW has been parental rights. In
1990, UCW presented its first report on family policies to the
administration. Committee members returned to the issue several times over
the years, including last year, when they were active participants in
crafting the "arrival of children" policy that is expected to be presented
to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, this fall.
Issues of concern
Nearly every year, UCW prepares a major report for administrators on an
issue of concern to women on campus. Through the years, UCW has studied
comparative salaries of men and women faculty, representation of women
faculty on university and college committees, the status of professional and
scientific employees, merit employee job satisfaction and career
development, sexual harassment, rapes and assaults on campus, women faculty
on non-tenure track appointments and women in administration. A report on
the status of women at ISU was issued this summer.
Through the years, UCW also has held open forums on various issues,
including sex equity and strategic planning. And, UCW weighs in on
candidates for top university jobs, sending representatives to open forums
to quiz candidates on issues of interest to women and minorities.
For more information on UCW or the 30th anniversary celebration, contact
Marcia Purdy, 4-4154, e-mail:
mapurdy@iastate.edu.
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Ames, Iowa 50011, (515) 294-4111
Published by: University Relations,
online@iastate.edu
Copyright © 1995-2001, Iowa State University. All rights reserved.
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