Duke Mag-A Start on Status-Jul/Aug 2002-Gazette

A Start on Status

Following up on an April speech about the need for a new initiative on the status of women at Duke, President Nannerl O. Keohane named a steering committee of fifteen to study what such an initiative should look like. Keohane herself will serve as chair of the committee.

In a speech before the Administrative Women's Network, Keohane said it was a "propitious time for us to be thinking together about the status of women at Duke, and to be crafting some policies that will change concrete aspects of our situation for the better." She indicated that she believed some progress had been made for women at Duke, but each flurry of activity had been followed by a lull as other issues came to the forefront.

"I can assure you that I'm not going to let this opportunity slip away," Keohane said. "I won't let this topic get pushed to the back burner again because of more immediately urgent issues and strategic concerns."

Keohane said some of the concerns included pay, promotion, hiring, and other equity issues, both for female staff and faculty members, and general climate issues for women. In many cases, she said, the data needed to study these concerns are simply lacking.

In a letter to the committee members, Keohane said the first meeting would be held shortly after commencement, and the committee will continue to meet until December 31. She said she expected the committee to work through the summer, with the immediate goal being to research the most pressing concerns raised by women at Duke.

In addition to the steering committee, several university units will create working groups to study specific gender issues related to their areas. The work of these groups will be coordinated with that of the steering committee.