Notes of the FIC Meeting, March 1, 2002
Present: Tracy Scholl, Moorhead; Tamara Berg, Winona; Mary Jo Hrenhchir, Bemidji; Joan Gittens, Southwest; Shannon Skarphol Kaml, Metropolitan; Georgia Holmes, Mankato; Pat Arseneault, IFO Equity Advocate
The meeting began at approximately 4:00 at the IFO offices in St. Paul.
Pat introduced packet items and updated the group on the recent salary equity lawsuit settlements.
Tamara moved to approve the October minutes. Tracy seconded. Minutes were approved.
FIC Grant Report to the Board:
We addressed the need to establish a time for the past FI grant recipient, Ruthe Thompson of Southwest, to make a presentation of her work. It was decided that the committee would meet from 8:30-10 a.m. on Friday March 22 at Delegate Assembly and then open the meeting to a Feminist Issues Caucus from 10-11 a.m. for the presentation.
Pat indicated that a report on the conclusion of the grant would need to be presented to the Board. Based on the recipient’s presentation at Delegate Assembly the FIC will create a report and present it to the Board in April. It was suggested that we should continue to support the project, although incomplete, because gender issues resulted in the recipient relocation to another university. The FIC did not allocate the second $1000 to the project. Pat has requested funds from the board to continue the FI Grant and they were approved for the continuation of the grant program.
Committee Leadership:
We addressed the lack of a chair for the committee. Pat mentioned that Shannon would consider being a co-chair, if another member would volunteer. Tamara indicated that she would be willing serve as co-chair.
Committee Report to Delegate Assembly:
The FIC will need to make a report to the Board during Delegate Assembly on Friday, March 22 at 11a.m. After discussing what the process entailed, Shannon volunteered to present.
Tracy suggested that we include all of the information Carla sent to us as material for the written report and that Pat and Denise complete the report and email it to the committee members for their additions.
Tracy suggested that the issue of office support for the Equity Advocate be highlighted further as internal problems are now impacting members’ cases. It was suggested that we state our strong support for the need for an Equity Advocate. It was suggested that the committee may want to introduce a resolution at Delegate Assembly clarifying the job position of the Equity Advocate. It was suggested that we include language to the effect in our report.
For written report: “As members of the Feminist Issues Committee we laud the wisdom of the Delegate Assembly and Ray McCoy in creating the Equity Advocate position.
Oral only: “We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Pat Arseneault for her informed advocacy and tireless service on the behalf of all IFO members.”
For written report: “We recognize the importance of the Equity Advocate to all facets of staff dispute resolution and believe that the Equity Advocate is a vital resource in all phases of the grievance process for all IFO members. We believe that the Equity Advocate is necessary to empower all IFO members.”
Oral only: “We further believe that individual faculty members should have the right to choose their representation in the dispute resolution process.”
Strategy was discussed. It was proposed that we should go to the Board and inquire whether any change in position was being considered. It was suggested that we should recommend to the Board that the IFO office institute its own internal dispute resolution process. Women faculty have not been well served by the arbitration they received from the Director of Labor Relations. It was further suggested that individual FIC members communicate the importance of this position to the faculty at their campuses.
FIC Awards:
1. Tracy moved to accept Carla’s recommendation that FIC recommendation to IFO Board for Award for Outstanding Contributions to Women’s Advancement in MnSCU, to the following named plaintiffs in the class action lawsuits for gender equity in salary for female faculty members:
Bemidji: Louise Mengelkoch
St. Cloud: Marjorie Fish, Kathleen Gill, Christine Jazwinkski, Lora Robinson and June Goemer
Moorhead: Magdalene Chalikia, Jill Frederick, Margaret Potter and Susan Severson
Winona: Jeanette (Jan) Karjala
Mankato: Susan Burum
Metro: Jacqueline Richardson and Valerie Geaither
2. Nominations for Outstanding Contributions to the IFO by a Woman Member were discussed. Criteria for the award were considered. Level of service and length of service were suggested. It was the feeling of the group that the award should be somewhat distributed among the MnSCU institutions. It was recommended that we encourage nominators to provide more detailed information about the nominees. We might in the future consider designing a nomination form. FIC recommendation to IFO Board for Award for Outstanding Contributions to the IFO By a Woman Member to: Mary Kesler, Winona
We considered what type of award to present and felt that a framed certificate should be presented.
Resolutions for Delegate Assembly:
Tamara suggested the separation of the positions of Human Resources and Affirmative Action Officers on campuses where the position is held by one person. Pat suggested we support Resolution 519 that makes AA officers funded by and beholden to the Attorney General’s Office. The need to make a stronger statement was addressed. We recommended that the IFO encourage that all campuses maintain separate Affirmative Action and Human Resource officers as there is a conflict of interest in the combining of the positions.
Child care needs on campuses were considered.
Clarification of the use and interpretation of campus’s zero-tolerance for violence policies was considered. Strategic considerations were raised.
It was suggested that the collegiality standard for tenure be removed.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:45
Respectfully submitted,
Shannon Skarphol Kaml
Acting recorder