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| Vol. 17, No. 5 | Oct. 2, 1997 |
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| Vol. 17, No. 5 | Oct. 2, 1997 |
Pat Nelson, Cooperative Extension, has been named the new chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women for a two-year term.
"My field is family and child development, and my job involves work and family issues, and working with extension educators throughout the state, so chairing the commission dovetails with my professional interests," Nelson said. "I am honored to take part in the work of the commission and help it to move forward."
Nelson, who has been at the University for 20 years, said she has seen remarkable changes on campus and in society in general. "Women have increasingly joined the work force, and research has shown that issues surrounding balancing work and family are important-both to employees and employers. When employers take into consideration such issues as flex time, childcare resources and eldercare assistance, employees are less stressed and this translates into better performance on the job.
"The commission has helped to build awareness of these concerns across campus, and the University is a leader in these areas," she said.
Another major concern of the commission is public safety. "Although there have been recent incidents and we must continue our vigilance, the University has worked on making the campus a safer place, with escort service available at night, increased lighting and improved landscaping in terms of safety," Nelson said.
Sexual harassment is another subject that is on the commission's agenda and workshops are being planned. She said a brochure on this topic will be published in the future for faculty and staff.
The commission is divided into constituencies that meet on a monthly basis, representing faculty, professionals, salaried staff, graduate and undergraduate students. "From these sub groups, the commission learns what is important to the women they represent on campus, and we try to implement their suggestions," Nelson said.
"For example, professional women are interested in resources for career development and travel expenses to conferences and workshops. Graduate students are interested in networking with women graduate students in other fields and have an interest in workshops on balancing families and work. Senior faculty have expressed interest in becoming mentors to junior faculty members," Nelson said.
Equity issues continue to be a priority, she said, and the commission continues to be an advocate for women's advancement, especially in the senior ranks of faculty and administration. "But overall, although things sometimes seem to change slowly," Nelson said, "the University is becoming a great institution and a great place to work."
-Sue Swyers Moncure
