Celebrating 25 years of working toward equality, the University Commission for Women gathered at the Rackham Amphitheatre yesterday to relive struggles, evaluate progress and plan for the future.
The committee was created in 1971 by then-President Robben Fleming in response to a recommendation by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
"I've come to appreciate more and more the political power needed to make social change," said keynote speaker Barbara Newell, who was the first chair of the commission.
Newell has also served as the president of Wellesley College, chancellor of the state university system in Florida and ambassador under Jimmy Carter to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Fleming also spoke at the event, explaining his view of equality as someone from a small town in Illinois whose mother was widowed when he was in high school. Because his mother supported his family, he realized the importance of education for everyone.
"I always knew the education of women was just as important as that of men," Fleming said.
However, when Fleming was a law professor and chancellor at the University of Wisconsin, gender equality was not a pressing issue for him.
"I was aware that in universities, there were not many women on faculty," Fleming said. "But I didn't think much about it."
Once Fleming became president of the University in 1968, a group of women brought the issue to the forefront. A group conducted a study titled "Fleming Follow," a tally of people who entered Fleming's office for meetings.
The study concluded the average person to meet with Fleming was white, male, overweight and flirtatious with his secretaries. This study, along with letters and protests, led Fleming to realize the necessity for change.
"I did understand that we needed to do something," Fleming said.
What Fleming did was appoint Newell, his assistant and the acting vice president for student affairs, to form the Commission for Women, then called the Commission on Women.
The commission has done many things to lead the University in the direction of equality. This includes advocating maternity leave policies, salary equity review and the creation of the Women's Studies Program.
Newell reminisced yesterday about experiences she had as the committee chair and as Fleming's assistant. One objection the committee had was that male music majors were required to be members of the Michigan Marching Band, while female music majors were not permitted to be members.
"This was so blatant," Newell said.
Newell said she told Fleming the problem, and he calmly replied, "The director of the band will be retiring shortly, and the new director will allow females."
Although Newell is proud of the first commission's accomplishments, she said it "left a tremendous number of areas untouched." She said the members discussed daycare, but said it was too "radical" and "expensive." She also said that at that time, sexual harassment was never discussed.
Provost J. Bernard Machen discussed the present state of equality at the University.
"It still remains true that the higher the rung on the academic ladder, the fewer the women," Machen said.
Currently, women comprise 20 of the 122 department chairs, five of the 19 deans and 25 percent of senior administrators. Machen pointed out this is a great improvement from 25 years ago, but equality is not yet achieved.
"Vigorous efforts will be needed to accelerate our progress," Machen said. "Much work remains to be done both in our society and at the University."
Fleming agreed that the inequality will continue to exist.
"It's unlikely that men and women will see the roles of one another in the same way," Fleming said.
AJA DEKLEVA COHEN/Daily
Elaine Sims, co-chair of the Commission for Women, speaks yesterday.