Office of the President

Meetings: 2001 (12.10) | President’s Commission on Women’s Issues

President's Commission on Women's Issues Meeting Minutes

MINUTES – December 12, 2001
0154 Tawes Building
Meeting commenced at noon.

Present:

Chair: Lauri Grunig

Guest: Kenneth Krouse Members/Liaisons:

Patty Bernales
Margaret Bridwell
Roberta Coates
Mary Cothran
Joanne DeSiato
Sarah Eno
Susan Farr
Leigh Leslie
John Martin
Laura Nichols
Yunna Rhee
Dianne Sullivan
Andrianna Stuart
Peggy Wood
Debbie Yow

Welcome and Best Wishes:

The Commission welcomed Laura Nichols back from medical leave and wished her good health.

Approval of Minutes:

The November minutes were approved as amended.

Announcements:

Lauri Grunig reminded the Commission that Kenneth Krouse, chief of police and head of the campus Department of Public Safety, would join the meeting at 12:30 p.m. as today’s guest. Commission members are invited to ask him questions.

Peggy Wood graduates this semester and so her term as PCWI member will end. Members expressed best wishes and their appreciation for her dedicated membership. We also congratulated Wood on receiving the BSOS Dean’s Scholarship Award. Grunig urged members to suggest names of undergraduate students as potential representatives to the PCWI.

PCWI members congratulated Chris Aggour for receiving a commendation for her leadership and the success of the USM Women’s Forum Conference in October.

Yesterday’s vote on collective bargaining was affirmative.

Guest:

Krouse reported on recent activities of his department and explained how this has been an extraordinary year for the campus with regard to public safety. His remarks and discussion with PCWI members touched on:

  • The behavior of students during athletic programs.
  • Crimes in College Park that are outside of our jurisdiction and therefore cannot be investigated by campus police.
  • The relationship between alcohol use and sexual and other assaults.
  • His department’s vigilance in developing alcohol and drug programs.
  • Visibility of police patrols in uniform.
  • The presence of 25 to 30 video surveillance cameras in parking lots.
  • The efficacy of “blue-light” telephones and where more might be needed.
  • Campus policy on closed gates on campus between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
  • Education of the campus police force about what determines “suspicious activities” and what constitutes racial profiling.
  • The increase in car theft in campus parking lots.
  • The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and resultant action by the FBI on campus. The campus is working to protect middle eastern students from possible discrimination and retaliation.

Krouse said he could be emailed at kkrouse@umpd.umd.edu with additional questions and concerns. Grunig offered the Commission’s assistance to the Department of Public Safety in its efforts to promote campus safety and security.

Committee Reports:

Daycare: The committee plans to draft a letter to President Mote, asking for clarification of the daycare situation.

Staff Issues: A meeting is scheduled for Dec. 21, 2001, at 3:45 p.m. in the Shriver Building’s conference room. Main topic of discussion will be finding ways for non-exempt staff members to involve themselves in campus service.

Outstanding Woman of Color Award: This event is scheduled for March 7, 2002. The call for nominations will be mailed out in early January, with nominations to be submitted in February.

Outreach: Patty Bernales suggested that the Commission develop a brochure that incorporates all the committees’ work and their key achievements.

Outstanding Woman of the Year Award: The event is tentatively scheduled for April 2, 2002.

Safety, Security, and Campus Environment: There is no agenda at present but a meeting is scheduled for the near future to discuss relevant issues.

Special Populations: No report.

Women’ Leadership: Nichols reported that the undergraduates involved in organized women’s leadership efforts are “going great guns.” No report on the focus group study of campus climate. Professional Concepts Exchange Conference: Dianne Sullivan will meet with the conference planning committee to select a chair for the awards program.

Old Business:

Building Community Day: Grunig informed members that she provided a debriefing to Warren Kelly on the PCWI’s evaluation of October’s Building Community Day. Kelly can use this report as he plans for next year’s event.

New Business:

  • Nichols asked the Commission as an entity to consider participating in this spring’s Maryland Day.
  • Sullivan will mail out forms to departments in early January 2002 for submission of programs to be included in the Women’s History Month calendar. We briefly discussed the possibility of adopting a theme for this year’s history month. No decision was made.
  • Harriet Presser and Barbara Finkelstein are considering developing a public series, to be sponsored by the PCWI, on power and institution building.

Next Meeting:

The next PCWI meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2002, at noon in 0154 Tawes Building.