I. Mandate
The Provost's Advisory Committee on Women's Concerns was appointed by former Provost Rhoten Smith in March 1983 to:
A. examine and investigate the situation of women at Pitt
B. identify those areas in which the University should improve its responsiveness
C. suggest ways in which the appropriate part of the University might go about addressing the problems, and
D. include all areas of the University that impact on the educational experience and work environment.
II. Statement of Purpose
The Provost's Advisory Committee on Women's Concerns (PACWC) seeks to help ensure a productive educational and work environment for students, faculty, and staff, particularly in areas related to women's concerns. It focuses on general issues of campus climate and programs as they affect undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff, and on policies and procedures which affect women in the University. It seeks to assist the Provost and the University community through the fulfillment of its mandate.
III. Role
PACWC serves as an advisory committee. It recommends to the Provost on matters of University policy and procedure related to women's concerns. The committee also provides comments and suggestions on matters of campus environment and programs to the relevant administrative, faculty, staff, and student groups.
PACWC encourages activity on behalf of women in the University community. Routine and special activities and programs for women faculty, staff, and students will continue to be provided through existing University colleges, offices, and other organizational units.
IV. Membership
The committee should be broadly representative of all areas of the University community and include faculty members, staff, administrators, and students with experience, seniority, and a demonstrated commitment to the concerns of all women in the University. Members should be drawn from different academic areas and ranks and represent diversity in terms of age, racial, and ethnic characteristics.
To provide for broad campus representation and an efficient working group, the size of the committee should be approximately 20 members. At least one-third shall be staff. No fewer than two members and no more than four shall be students.
The following procedural guidelines should apply to committee membership:
A. Input or nominations should be sought from both current and former PACWC members.
B. Members are appointed by the Provost of the University. All terms will begin in September. A nominating committee appointed by the Chair of PACWC will make recommendations for membership at the last regularly scheduled meeting or no later than May.
C. Membership terms should be three years, staggered so as to provide for both continuity and new membership each year.
D. Members are expected to attend meetings. Persons unable to attend meetings on a regular basis should resign from the committee and may be asked to do so by the Chair.
V. Committee Chair
A. The Chair shall serve for a two-year term, and may be reappointed once. The Nominating Committee will make recommendations for Chairperson in the alternate years or when the chair is vacated before the completion of the term.
B. The Chairpersonship may be divided into a Co-Chairpersonship in any configuration, such as, one faculty and one staff member. The Nominating Committee will make recommendations for the Co-Chairs. The terms of the Co-Chairs should be staggered for continuity purposes when possible.
C. The Chairperson or the Co-Chairs shall convene meetings and carry out other usual chairperson duties.
D. The Chair shall meet regularly with the Vice Provost and at least once a year with the Provost to discuss the work of the committee.
VI. Resources and Staff Support
A. Adequate on-going staff assistance shall be provided by the Provost. This staff assistance shall include these functions:
- gather information through research and related activities;
- prepare reports for committee deliberations and publication;
- oversee arrangement of meetings; and
- prepare and distribute minutes.
B. The staff assistant will request of other University offices and organizations such information and reports as are necessary for the committee to carry out its functions.
C. Beyond the support provided for and arranged by the staff assistant, the committee will not have a budget. For special purposes, the committee can request resources from the Provost’s Office to implement its charge.
VII. Committee Procedures
So that the committee can serve effectively as an advisory group, consider and recommend on issues of concern to women, be reasonable in terms of time and constraints and other obligations of committee members, and handle effectively, a large number of issues, the following procedural guidelines shall apply:
A. Committee Activity
- The Chair, members, staff assistant, or the Provost can request that issues be placed on the agenda for discussion.
- For those issues referred to the committee which clearly can/should be handled by an existing office of mechanism, the chairperson will simply refer the matter in the name of the committee and report the action taken to the committee.
- For those issues referred to the committee, the disposition of which is less obvious, or which relate to immediate committee concerns, the Chairperson will bring the matter to the committee for discussion. The matter might subsequently be referred to an existing office or mechanism.
- The committee will identify - with the help of others in the University - a list of issues of greatest concern to women on campus and focus discussions and subcommittee activities on those issues. In most cases, such discussions will lead to the development of a recommendation to the appropriate University entity or to the Provost. These issues will constitute the major agenda for the committee. The agenda will be reviewed at least once a year to ensure that it continues to represent pressing issues. Items may be added or deleted by committee agreement.
- The committee will prepare an annual report for the Provost and the University community. The report will reflect the agenda for that year and include a compilation of committee recommendations.
B. Consensus
The committee will strive for consensus with respect to the agenda and committee recommendations. If consensus is not possible, Robert's Rules of Order shall apply.
C. Subcommittees
A limited number of ad hoc subcommittees will be formed to work on specific issues of concern to the committee to formulate ideas and suggestions for committee action, and to serve as a nominations committee. Members for the subcommittees will be drawn primarily from PACWC, but from time to time others in the University will be asked to join subcommittees in order to provide specific expertise and advice. As appropriate to the issues under consideration, subcommittees will call upon student, faculty, and staff groups for assistance and advice.
D. Meeting Times
- The committee year shall begin in September.
- Full committee meetings shall be held and shall convene a minimum of four times a year.
- Subcommittees shall meet as often as necessary as determined by subcommittee members.
E. External Communications, Minutes, Reports, etc.
- The Chair or her designated representative shall be the official committee spokesperson.
- Confidentiality shall be observed concerning all committee discussions.
- Minutes of meetings shall be made available to members and the Provost.
- The committee will communicate with the University community through such means as the Provost's Newsletter, the University Times, the Pitt News, and the CGS Newsletter, the First Degree.
Revised: April 2004
By PACWC
Revised: May 1994
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