Charge to the President's Commission on the Status of Women

Consistent with St. Norbert College mission, core values, heritage, and belief in the sacred dignity of all human beings, the primary charge of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women at St. Norbert College is to recommend to the President ways in which women students, faculty, administrators, staff, hourly employees, and trustees can achieve their full potential and full participation in the community of St. Norbert College.

The Commission will consult widely with the St. Norbert College community, identify major concerns about the status and climate for women at St. Norbert College, and make recommendations to the President for concrete ways of addressing these concerns. These ways can include, but are not limited to, better policies, improved support, new structures, innovative programs, and systems of accountability.

The Commission will identify any inequities or disparities in the treatment of women that may exist on the campus, in the classroom, in the workplace, or in social situations. It will examine how the College hires, develops, promotes, retains, and compensates women students, faculty, administrators, staff, and hourly employees at the College. It will make recommendations for correcting any disparities that are found.

The Commission will review key documents and surveys on the dignity of women, including, but not limited to, Catholic social teaching, United Nations declarations, research on gender issues, and relevant Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) surveys. It will also interview any individuals who are associated with programs designed to improve the status of women at St. Norbert College.

The Commission will review the state of best policies, procedures, structures, and practices at other colleges, universities, and institutions with respect to women and will use these as a benchmark against which to review and assess St. Norbert College policies, procedures, and practices. The Commission will also perform a SWOT analysis, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the College with regard to gender issues. Wherever the Commission finds that women are treated inequitably in areas such as professional development, child care, and family leave, and/or through linguistic messages of condescension, it will make recommendations to address this.

In consultation with the President, the Co-Chairs of the Commission will review and improve this charge and select the other members of the Commission. Thereafter the Commission will determine its agenda and timetable, conduct its business, and ultimately present its recommendations to the President. After reviewing the recommendations, the President will circulate these recommendations for discussion by the community prior to adoption and action.

The staff and budget of the President’s Office will support the Commission in this work.