Appendix I
Report of the University Committee - Ad Hoc Committee On Women, 1992
A. Introduction
In December 1991, the University Committee recommended to the Faculty
Senate that an Ad Hoc Faculty Committee be appointed to review the
situation of women faculty on the UW-Green Bay campus and further,
to develop specific recommendations to correct or remediate conditions
that are adverse to their recruitment and retention. The Senate approved
the recommendation and in January 1992, the Ad Hoc Committee on Women
was appointed by Terence O'Grady, the Chair of the University Committee.
The appointment of the Committee represented the first time in the
history of UW-Green Bay that a faculty committee had been formed,
with accountability to the University Committee and the Senate, with
the mandate to study and review issues pertaining to women faculty
as well as to develop specific recommendations for action. The Committee's
creation reflected widespread recognition that the condition of women
faculty at the University was in serious need of improvement. The
work of the Committee was supported by Chancellor David Outcalt, who
made funds available for carrying out essential data collection and
analysis activities.
The Committee met regularly throughout the spring and summer of 1992.
Individual members of the Committee assumed responsibility for carrying
out various aspects of the Committee's activities. All members of
the Committee contributed to and concurred in the summary and final
recommendations. To facilitate implementation of the recommendations,
the Committee also has developed a plan for monitoring outcomes on
a regular basis.
Members of the Ad Hoc Committee:
Betty L. Baer, Chair (Professional Studies)
Sidney Bremer (Arts and Humanities)
Michael Kraft (Social Sciences)
Robert Obenberger (Professional Studies)
Thea Sager (Natural Sciences)
Robert Wenger (Natural Sciences)
B. Background Information Leading to the Formation of the Special
Faculty Committee
In the fall of 1991, a group of women faculty invited Dr. Ceil Pillsbury
(Assistant Professor, Business Administration) to discuss her experience
at another System institution and the legal action she initiated against
that institution for sexual discrimination in tenure review. At this
same meeting, Dean Carol Pollis presented UW System data on "Percent
and Number of Women in Faculty Positions for the Years 1988-89 to
1991-92." These data clearly indicated that the numbers and percentage
of women on the UW-Green Bay faculty were not improving. Indeed, at
the Associate and Professor levels, the percentage ofwomen had actually
declined since the 1986-87 academic year.
Subsequent to this meeting, untenured faculty women met to discuss
conditions at the University that affect their work. They identified
several concerns, such as perceived salary inequities, a poorly functioning
mentoring program, confusion and inadequate information with regard
to promotion and tenure "rules," and overall climate issues
which detracted from their sense of being well advised and supported
as untenured women.
A third event further demonstrated the need for intervention and
action. In fall 1990, the UW System administration released a report
entitled "Retaining and Promoting Women and Minority Faculty
Members: Problems and Possibilities." This publication emphasized
that "the environment of support" that women and minorities
experience is critical to their retention. System Vice Chancellors
for Academic Affairs were asked to distribute the report to all academic
units and to stimulate "extensive discussions" within these
units on the issues raised in the report. In November 1991, a memo
to the UW-Green Bay Vice Chancellor from UW System staff requested
a "brief summary describing the efforts your institution is making
to discuss and act upon the issues identified in the publication,
with emphasis upon the climate issues." A copy of this memo was
also sent to UW System Faculty Representatives. The 1991 faculty representative
for UW-Green Bay and University Committee Chair, Betty L. Baer, requested
of Vice Chancellor Kuepper information on exactly what initiatives
he had taken to comply withSystem's request. In a memo dated 18 November
1991 to the University Committee Chair, Dr. Kuepper stated that he
would "very much appreciate any assistance the University Committee
could provide me in helping the University address this important
matter. With all of the other pressures on the institution and its
resources, we must pay attention or this can slide to the back burner."
This response confirmed what the University Committee already knew
- that no special efforts had been initiated within academic units
to stimulate interest or discussion of the report, nor apparently,
due to the press of other issues, were any envisioned. Yet, the reports
from untenured women as well as the existing data indicated that UW-Green
Bay had a serious problem.
In addition to the above factors that immediately precipitated the
appointment of the special committee, the University Committee was
aware of a sequence of several other efforts to address issues pertaining
to the status of women on the UW-Green Bay campus. These included:
