UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 9, Page 14
October 26, 1995
Lin Gordon is Commission on Women chairperson

     Lin Gordon, director of the Academic Services Center, is
chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women for a two-year
term. A veteran of two and a half years on the commission, she said
that the commission plays an important role on campus in highlighting
women's issues, in supporting women and acting as a forum for the
University community.
     "My first contact with the commission was shortly after I came to
the University, when I was invited to the Women of Promise dinner,
which it sponsors. I was impressed by the group that assembled there,
and it is still one of my favorite events. The commission also
sponsors several other activities that support women, including travel
grants, symposia, workshops and leadership training," she said.
     "As chairperson of the commission, I recently had the opportunity
to attend the forum on Global Women's Issues at the DuPont Country
Club. More than six hundred women from Delaware gathered there to
listen to talks from delegates Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky and Gracia
Hillman, U.S. delegates to the International Women's Conference in
Beijing," Gordon said.
     While there are many issues of concern to women that will be
dealt with this year, as commission chairperson, Gordon said the two
major concerns topping her agenda for the commission are sexual
harassment and campus safety.
     "One of the commission's many projects is to continue its efforts
to develop a definitive, University-wide brochure on sexual harassment
to clarify the issues involved for both sexes. We are getting input
from individuals across campus at all levels and also reviewing how
other universities have approached this problem," Gordon said.
     Training faculty and staff to assist individuals who have
encountered sexual harassment is another area which she said she
believes is important. "In my job, both men and women students have
confided in me about incidents that have taken place. When you are not
prepared, it is difficult to know how to handle these situations and
how to advise students or tell them where they can seek help," she
said.
     Although campus safety has improved over the years, it still is a
primary concern to members of the commission.
     In addition to its support of women and women's issues, the
commission acts as a forum for women and those concerned about women's
issues.
     "While most commission members are female, there are two male
members. There are representatives from all the different
constituencies across campus-faculty, graduate and undergraduate
students, support staff, professionals-and we have an opportunity to
discuss issues and experiences and get different perspectives from
each other," Gordon said.
     In the areas of women's issues and equality, the University has
made strides and, in a number of instances, is far ahead other
schools, Gordon said. "The triumphs are sometimes small, but there are
women and men on campus who are sincere about bringing change, and I
am optimistic about the future," Gordon said.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure