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There are so many wonderful groups on campus doing good work that are often hidden university treasures. The University Commission on Women is one such organization; an all-volunteer group comprised of men and women meeting since 1999 to address gender issues on campus.

The mission of the University Commission on Women is to: 1) Identify the concerns of women at the university; 2) Promote gender equality throughout all areas of the university community; 3) Recommend to the appropriate administrative offices ways to address the concerns of women at the university; 4) Communicate and collaborate with other committees and organizations to provide support, advocacy, and information regarding women's issues; and 5) Raise awareness regarding behaviors, actions, issues, policies, and procedures that affect the status of women. The council has 28 members representing diverse interests on campus including students, staff, and faculty.

The University Commission on Women reports to the president of the University of Houston and is charged with the responsibility of informing and advising the president and the senior administrative leadership as well as the general university community on issues and concerns that have an impact on women at the University of Houston. After issuing an impressive report on the status of women on campus, available here, the Commission is currently prioritizing the issues raised in the report that they would like to address in the current year. After some helpful facilitated exercises, the group decided on three top priorities: addressing child care, family friendly policies, and recruitment and retention of female faculty on campus.

The Commission has a successful track record of being an active group that gets things done. The Commission was part of an effort that successfully passed a policy that extends the tenure clock by one additional year for male and female faculty members who have or adopt a child. The Commission is also ending up a successful year-long pilot mentoring program that they hope will continue and be administered by the campus administration. The program brought together an initial ten pairs of staff and faculty mentors and protégés who kept in contact throughout the year to further the protégé’s goals while learning new skills, assisting in professional development and advancement in the UH community, and receiving support and guidance.

The current co-chairs of the Commission are staff member Rebecca Szwarc and faculty member Elizabeth Gregory. The Commission meets monthly in the lovely Elizabeth Rockwell Pavilion. Stay tuned as this Commission continues their work to make our campus a more equitable place for all.