Commission aims to improve status of women's issues

"We have done a phenomenal job in raising awareness of issues," said Ann Wolnick, chairwoman of the Education and Outreach Committee. She added, however, that "some of these things will take years to solve."

The Arizona Board of Regents created the commission in 1989 to promote awareness and equality for women at the state's three universities.

Members of the commission shared their accomplishments with Gignac - including a revised sexual harassment policy, diversity training for teaching assistants, and the 1995 creation of the Oasis Center for Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence.

"It went very well - we all agree that a lot of progress has been made in the last eight years," said Mary Poulton, chairwoman of the UA's Commission on the Status of Women.

The 28-member UA commission includes administrators, faculty, staff and students. The group is fragmented into four chairs that focus on "problems and issues that are most directly related to women but cut across all segments of the campus population," Poulton said.

Education and Outreach

The educational arm of the commission - the outreach committee - encourages community interest on the status of women.

"The committee sponsors events to make the community more aware of minority and gender issues," Poulton said.

The group holds the annual Daughters on Campus Day April 4, which attracted about 560 women and girls to campus last year.

A study, released last summer, profiled 5,000 UA employees' needs.

The purpose was to assess how employees feel about their working environment. Most said they would encourage a friend or family member to work at UA. The report indicated, however, that female employees are less likely than males to recommend others to work at the university.

The latest project, set for spring semester, offers the opportunity to download conferences about experts' testimony on the status of women across the country to the campus via satellites, Wolnick said.

Campus Climate

The climate committee funds the Oasis Center for Sexual Assault. Since its inception, the number of reported incidents of relationship violence, sexual assault and domestic violence has grown from four to more than 300.

"The commission has been very supportive in our efforts as the program has expanded," said Irene Anderson, director of the Oasis Center.

In the spring of 1996, the women's groups instituted a voucher system for subsidizing employee and student child care. The vouchers support 174 staff employees on a $150,000 budget.

A $7,000 subsidy is set aside for student child care, but the money falls short of demand for the program. Nine students receive paid child care, while 85 remain on the waiting list.

Equity and Compensation

The equity committee acts to improve the quality of data on university pay distribution for women and minorities.

The number of women faculty, administrative and professional positions has risen since 1995.

"This gives a sense of progress," said Kari McBride, chairwoman of Equity and Compensation Committee.

Committee members want to establish models for measuring equity and enforcing accountability for wage disparities.

Genevieve D. Cruise can be reached via e-mail at Genevieve.D.Cruise@wildcat.arizona.edu.