EQ.10.02

University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign Senate

Committee on Equal Opportunity and Inclusion
EQ.10.02, Annual Report for 2009-2010
(Final; Information)

The Senate Committee on Equal Opportunity and Inclusion (EQ) is responsible for developing, encouraging, and evaluating the development of equal opportunity and affirmative action programs and guidelines that are intended to increase the numbers, and improve the status of minority groups across campus.

This year the EQ continued to focus on the diversity of faculty and staff on campus.  We collected reports and heard presentations.  For example, we heard a presentation from Menah Pratt-Clark and Heidi Johnson from the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (OEOA).  We also examined several of the documents produced from this office (e.g., Academic Affirmative Action Executive Summary Report).  We also reviewed a report summarizing data from the TOPS (Targets of Opportunity) Program. 

After reviewing the data, we sent a letter to the President Search Committee Chair (Pamela Strobel) stressing the importance of a diverse applicant pool and asking the Committee to not only encourage applicants to have a commitment to diversity, but also ask what steps the applicant would take to assure diversity is a priority at UIUC.  This letter was sent on March 5, 2010.

EQ also submitted a Resolution to the Faculty Senate on April 26, 2010.  The Resolution included the following recommendations:

BE IT RESOLVED that every effort be made to ensure that a higher priority is placed on the University’s commitment to diversity and equal opportunity and access than on cost-cutting; and
BE IT RESOLVED that faculty, staff, and students from historically underrepresented
groups be included among those who are making recommendations and decisions about
restructuring the University; and
BE IT RESOLVED that the University maintain and strengthen its commitment to the
recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff from historically underrepresented
groups; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that this Resolution be transmitted to the Interim
Chancellor/Provost and members of the Steering Committee on Stewarding Excellence.

Finally, a recommendation was made that next year the EQ focus on the unsatisfactory record of gender equity on this campus. Some issues to consider is the salary gap, which becomes wider as you go up the ladder from assistant professor to full professor; and the dearth of female department heads on campus.

Senate Committee on Equal Opportunity and Inclusion
Kimberly Shinew, Chair
Liam Bird
Nancy Cambron
Dana Hall
Harry H. Hilton
Alejandra Sanchez
Constance Shapiro
Siobhan Somerville