|
|
|
         |
Table of Contents
Why the seminar and speaker series?Because of the small number of women faculty at ESF, the series provides mentoring opportunities for students, both female and male, who have little regular exposure to female role models. Bringing these professionals to campus as seminar speakers helps women and men in all stages of their careers expand their vision of the roles of women in professional fields. Speakers meet with classes, clubs, and individual undergraduate and graduate students seeking advice about careers they may never have pictured for themselves. A small group of students has an added challenge and opportunity: students from the associated 1-credit seminar (FOR 797-2/496-10) are charged with coordinating these meetings during each speaker’s stay. The speaker also meets with class members discuss her experiences with the roles and topics of the course. There aren't enough women that have been here long enough to form an "Old Girl's Club” at ESF--or at SU and Upstate either. The speaker series serves as chance for ESF women to develop a network with interested and interesting women across campus and the University Hill as well as around the country. Back to TopWhy do we take Daughters and Sons to work?The Daughter's only program was launched in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation as a response to studies by Harvard University, American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Minnesota Women's Fund, which indicate that a girl's self esteem and confidence in intellectual development plummet as they advance toward adolescence. In recent years, the program has expanded to encompass the boys who will become the partners, coworkers, and friends of the women of the future. Back to TopWhy should I come to a potluck supper? What if I can't cook? Can I bring my kids?Sometimes it seems like there are actually miles between the different departments, but it really is a small campus, and it would be nice to know some friendly people in every building. If you can't/didn't have time to cook or pick something up, bring a few dollars. We will pool funds and arrange for take-out or delivery from a local restaurant. This practice started in the early years of the Caucus, when several people found themselves huddled around a vending machine looking for potential items at the last minute. They opted to pool their funds and order a pizza instead. Adequate, affordable childcare is an issue affecting many families on campus, so we invite you to bring your kids along to all of our programs. They do a great job of entertaining one another! Back to TopWho is in charge?In general, the Women's Caucus is non-hierarchical. There are no officers and decisions are made by consensus. However, there are individuals who serve as the primary contacts for individual projects. If you would like the Caucus's assistance with any other program, please contact any of the names on that list. When did women become part of the student body? How many women are on the faculty?ESF began as an all male college in 1911, and there were no women students during the early decades. Mildred Kocic, Ruth Warret, and Barbara Hennessey were the very first women graduates (ca late 40s). "By 1969, women numbered only 73 out of 1300 enrolled...as the College's work expanded in research fields such as biology, biochemistry and paper fiber technology, so did its appeal to a wider student base. Job opportunities in related industries also began to expand for womens by the lat 1960s. In 1967, the first female completed the timberland management curriculum, and the phrase 'lumberjills' appeared in the press. Traditions were beginning to fall, but it would take a few more years for true gender equality to spread throughout the college. "The early 1970s saw the first female trustees appointed to the board. The first woman graduated from the Ranger School in 1974. ... A woman's [Woodman] team was begun in 1973 and won an international competition in 1975. And by 1974, an affirmative action program was underway at ESF to increase minority recruitment. In 2011, 40% of the 2,200 enrolled students are female." (transcribed 12 Sept 2011 from new signage posted in Moon Library). Even through the early 90s, there were very few women professors:
Numbers are on the rise across campus; there were women faculty in every academic department as of 2008. ESF welcomed its first female department head in 2008, and another in 2010. Both hires were promoted from within the campus community. Click here (PDF) for a breakdown by discipline. What's with the signs in the bathrooms? Every women's and unisex bathroom on campus should have an acetate holder by the sinks or by the door specifically for announcing Women’s Caucus Events. Each holder should also have a little label that directs you to this website.
As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. The foremothers of the ESF Women's Caucus realized that quite a few staff and grad students spend the bulk of the day, every day, in their individual offices or labs, and many of the faculty and undergrads are rushing between classes. They would need to put something on every bulletin board on campus for every woman to have an opportunity to see one (assuming it hasn't already been covered over by some other flier). However, it was a safe bet that every woman on campus will visit a lavatory sooner or later. So, by placing more strategically, they could reach the target audience with only a handful of fliers, and with far less running around.
Fliers were previously taped to walls, and then affixed to some surfaces with magnets, until we came to an agreement with a former VP of Administration and Physical Plant. We purchased these holders, which Physical Plant installed, for our use to prevent the tape residue and water splashed fliers that really weren’t fair to those that try hard to keep those areas clean. Fliers stay up, and stay looking nice, much longer now, so whenever we can, we can announce multiple events on single fliers, saving us a little more time and paper.
Others are welcome to use the holders when we aren't actively advertising an upcoming event--especially when programs and events are consistent with our mission. Is ESF breastfeeding friendly?
However, New York is among the states that have laws that
specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private
location, and that exempt breastfeeding from public indecency
laws. Do these laws extend to students? That's where our own research broke down. HR might be some help in addressing whether student employees would receive the same level of rights as 'regular' ones in this case, or if student employees are simply students (GSEU would disagree). Regardless of employee status, Heather Rice (Counseling and Disability Services) and Scott Shannon should know how to direct students. Any suggestions for balancing work and family? Oh, goodness-the best solution is to culture a climate where balanced lives are expected for women AND men. Until our society reaches that level of enlightenment, this will remain a popular topic for our potluck dinners, brown-bag lunches (summaries) and a query of every speaker in the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series (want to participate? Enroll in the Environmental Career Strategies for Women Seminar, look for it each Spring as FOR797/FOR 496). If there is specific aspect that you would like to discuss, we would love to feature at an upcoming program-- please contact Heather engelman@syr.edu . Childcare? ESF missed the window when the state offered subsidies to develop on-site day care programs (ESF did seem landlocked in those days, so this may have been an issue of where the heck could we put it? rather than, nah, we don't need one). There are arrangements in place for ESF employees and students to use SU's Early Education and Child Care Center and Bernice Wright Child Development Laboratory School (more info) or Upstate Medical University's Sarah Loguen Center on a space available basis. All three facilities have waiting lists, but also have excellent reputations so its worth inquiring and having your name added to those lists! SU requires that you know that you are pregnant, Upstate does not. ESF is also a member of Childcare Solutions, a one-stop shop for other centers --ask HR for ESF's login information to use their web-based search (you enter the criteria--location, home or center based, etc.)
I
need to attend this conference, but ... need help with my kids (or
my elderly dad or ....) Parents traveling during the school year might find it better to arrange for someone to stay with their children at their home, or for their children to stay with friends or family in their districts. Even if child care options are in place, participants may need to bring someone (often a retired parent) to offer care for younger infants during the meeting--this arrangement definitely facilitate things for nursing moms! But, the costs of the formal programs, or the airfare and meal costs for childcare providers on site or at home can be prohibitive. There are few funds to offset the costs of registration fees, airfare and hotel costs, so that your personal dollars can stretch further on care. Graduate students should ask their major professors if they have funds available to support the traditional participant costs (this is often written into the grants supporting the research in the first place!), and apply for "Travel Reimbursement Grants" through the Graduate Student Association. Faculty may inquire about departmental funds, and submit "Individual Development Award" applications to HR as per directions received by the UUP on-campus union representative. In past years, the Research Office has offered "travel grants" based on level of participation at meetings, opportunities for recruitment, etc--and hopefully they will be able to offer these again in the future. Faculty may also use their "Individual Research Incentive" accounts for expenses that are not allowed under their competitive grants, but since the amount each researcher receives for this is based upon the grant income that researcher brings in, new faculty might not have enough accumulated for this purpose. If you are looking for someone to stay in your home with your kids, to water your finicky plants, or to check on your beloved pet and administer its medications--ask the office of Financial Aid to list a position for their non-work study students, and send an email to the esfwomen listserv for recommendations. A Participant Support Fund is among the item's on the Women's Caucus wishlist--if you know of grants supportive of that goal, let us know. In January 2011, the Office of Communications announced that Forbes.com ranked the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) No. 3 on its 2010 list of best colleges for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Congratulations! But also note that colleges were ranked only on a percentage basis "how closely they approached an ideal where STEM classrooms look like the school overall." Isn't it possible that because of the nature of ESF's specialized programs, more classes than usual could qualify as STEM, and inflate the numerator in that equation? This is speculation, of course--but we aren't ready to start dismantling programs that benefit SMET women (like the Women's Caucus, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs) just yet. |
|
Although
lots of ESF kids are nursed, neither ESF nor SUNY have
lactation policies in place for employees or students--it is not
addressed in the college's sexual harassment policy, or student,
graduate student, or employee handbooks. As such, we don't
have any official "lactation" or "mother's" rooms.
