Women and Gender Studies Committee reports now available

(May 15, 2002)--Many members of the Tri-Campus community and the community-at-large have expressed an interest in learning more about the recent recommendations of the UTSA Women and Gender Studies Committee.

The committee's summary and proposals follow.

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UTSA Women and Gender Studies Committee Summary

Introduction

In late August, 2001, UTSA President Ricardo Romo directed Guy Bailey, provost and vice president for academic affairs, to appoint a 12-member committee to make recommendations regarding ways in which the university could best meet the needs of women faculty, staff and students. This committee was formed in response to UTSA's reclassification of the Center for the Study of Women and Gender (CSWG) as a program within the history department in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, due to budgetary constraints and the need to focus institutional dollars on teaching.

Bailey established a committee comprising campus administrators, faculty, staff and a student representative, with two former CSWG board members representing the San Antonio community.

The committee began by hearing its members' diverse perspectives and by identifying areas that needed to be explored. Members then pinpointed issues that impact women faculty, staff and students on the campus and which are relevant to the community.

A matrix of issues and the constituencies they impact was developed. Committee members also reviewed the structure, functions and funding sources of programs that met varied needs of women on other university campuses across the nation, including UTSA's previous CSWG. Additionally, they met with various groups and programs at UTSA to gain information about current programs and needs.

Early in their work, the committee noted there are other important groups at UTSA also exploring issues relating to women, and members worked with them to avoid duplication of effort. These groups include: the University Committee on the Advancement of Women, focusing on gender equity issues of women faculty and staff such as salary, job equity, tenure, and promotion; the Ad Hoc Committee on a Women and Gender Studies Program, focusing on academic degree programs and courses in women's and gender studies; the Women's History Week Committee, focusing on planning the 2002 Women's History Week to take place in March; the Women Faculty and Staff Association, focusing on needs of UTSA's female staff and faculty, including advocacy, professional networking, and social support; and "Ladies" Incensed by Patriarchal Society (LIPS), a feminist registered student organization.

Over time, committee members concluded there needed to be two structures at UTSA that address the needs of women, one that focused on educational and research issues and one that provided direct services and connected women with resources relating to personal needs. Two subcommittees were established to gather additional information and to develop proposals for each center. Each proposal was reviewed and revised a number of times by the entire committee.
In addition to the two proposals, the committee also notes the following points:

Both entities must be inclusive and work to promote diversity among women. Both entities must also collaborate with other campus groups, particularly those previously identified as working to better meet the needs of women at UTSA. Just as important, both entities must see themselves as critical components of the broader San Antonio community, serving it through research, education and service, while also drawing from the community through shared resources, collaboration and dialogue.

The committee especially struggled with whether or not the center focusing on educational and research issues should also house the degree programs relating to women and gender. The committee strongly supports the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Women and Gender Studies Program to develop degree programs in women's and gender studies and advocates that this be a high priority for UTSA. Our committee is very pleased that the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and the history department have embraced the idea of a degree program and have agreed to house it within the college. The committee recommended that the idea of moving the degree program to the proposed Institute for Women's Studies be explored, once the institute is a viable entity and the degree programs have been established.

Committee Chair Rosalie Ambrosino expressed appreciation to committee members for their willingness to explore the many issues raised, to listen to diverse opinions and grapple with the many ideas expressed, and to collaborate on recommendations that all were able to support strongly when the final reports were drafted.

Committee members also expressed thanks to President Romo and Provost Bailey for giving them an opportunity to come together to develop mechanisms to promote the needs of women faculty, staff and students at UTSA and of women in the broader San Antonio community.

Committee members were: UTSA Vice President for Student Affairs Rosalie Ambrosino, chair; Margaret Anderson, executive director of institutional diversity; Professor Norma Cantu, English, classics and philosophy department; Audreyjane Castro, CSWG advisory board member, Ajay & Associates; Assistant Professor Marcheta Evans, counseling department; Richard Gambitta, chair of political science and geography; student representative Marcy Harris; Michael Kelly, library executive director; Betty Merchant, chair of the educational leadership department; Wing Chung Ng, history department chair; Judge Bonnie Reed, CSWG advisory board member; Associate Professor Sonia Saldivar-Hull, English, classics and philosophy department; Sandra Welch, accounting department chair; and Associate Professor of Biology Esther Wheeler.

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Download the UTSA Women's Institute proposal in Microsoft Word format.

Download the UTSA Women's Resource Center proposal in Microsoft Word format.

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