Updates on Priorities
After spending the 2016-2017 academic year rebuilding our executive board membership, we focused the 2017-2018 academic year on strengthening our campus communication and public outreach infrastructure. To this end, our most comprehensive project consisted of revamping the caucus website (https://sites.udel.edu/women/). We also worked to upgrade our campus mailing list platform, develop a social media plan, and improve our methods for collecting and tracking constituent concerns.
In addition, we continued our engagement with several campus policy issues, including leave for faculty and staff, expanded childcare options for employees and students, and institutional climate concerns. One of our biggest accomplishments this year related to our advocacy for the establishment of an ombudsperson position at the university. Specifically, we worked with the university Faculty Senate to place a resolution in support of the position’s formation on its October 2017 meeting agenda. Senate members voted on the resolution, and it passed. As outlined in the resolution, we then formed a committee to continue developing the ombudsperson proposal, which will eventually be presented to the university administration.
Partnerships
We continued to work with other campus caucuses on issues of mutual interest, and to partner with the Offices of the Vice Provost for Diversity and Equity and Inclusion to address relevant issues of concern to our constituents. Of particular note, we collaborated with OEI and other caucuses to further develop the ombuds proposal and expand campus support for it. In addition, we have found valuable partners in other offices across UD, including Human Resources and IRE.
Caucus Business
The Caucus hosted two general meetings for the campus community this year: October 26, 2017, in Warner Hall; and May 10, 2018, at Caffé Gelato on Main Street. At the May meeting, we also held an award presentation and reception for the 2018 Torch Award recipient, Robin Andreasen.
During the April meeting, we held spring elections which resulted in the following new officers with terms beginning in June 2018:
- Barbara Ley, Secretary
- Sarah Meadows, Board
- Barbara Settles, Board