2011-2012 Presidential Commission Chairs
Presidential Commission on Disabilities
Chair: Jennifer May jmay@clarion.edu ext: 2095
Presidential Commission on Human Relations
Co-Chair: Jocelynn Smrekar jsmrekar@clarion.edu ext. 1622
Karen Smith ksmith1@clarion.edu ext. 2736
Presidential Commission on Sexual Harassment
Chair: Jerry Belloit belloit@clarion.edu ext. 2626
Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
Co-Chairs: Rhonda Clark rclark@clarion.edu ext. 1632
Vicky Clark vclark@clarion.edu ext. 2291
Presidential Commission on LGBT Concerns
Co-Chairs: Robert Levy rlevy@clarion.edu ext. 2285
Ronald Radaker rradaker@clarion.edu ext. 1344
Presidential Commission on Disabilities
This Presidential Commission comprises faculty, staff, and students. The group's mission is to focus attention on issues of accessibility and raise awareness relative to the disability community.
Presidential Commission on Human Relations
This Commission comprises faculty, staff, and students. The Commission focuses on promoting a better understanding of human relations issues that are of interest to the various university constituencies.
Presidential Commission on Sexual Harassment
The Commission, comprising faculty, staff, and students, is responsible for promoting the university's policies and procedures on sexual harassment. Advisors are available to provide information about the rules, regulations, and statutes which deal with sexual harassment and to provide guidance to victims complaining of such conduct.
Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to the improvement of Clarion University women, regardless of age, race, class, ethnicity, disabilities, and/or sexual orientation.
Established in 1983 as a subcommittee of the Affirmative Action Committee, the group achieved commission status in 1989 by state mandate. The establishment of the commission responded to the need for an organization dedicated to equity for women, as well as a philosophy of social, political, and economic equality.
Among the programs the commission has developed to address the diverse needs of women at Clarion are:
1. The Returning Adult and Commuting Students (RACS) Center
2. The Women's Studies Program and minor
3. The original Sexual Harassment Committee, now a presidential commission
4. The annual Women's Conference
The commission sponsors the Women's Conference, which is open to the community and provides scholarly discussions of topical issues, experimental workshops from a variety of multicultural perspectives, performing and visual arts opportunities for women, and a celebration of shared camaraderie.
In addition to the Women's Conference, the commission provides consciousness-raising on, and support of, a broad range of women's issues through sponsorships, films, lectures, and workshops presented throughout the academic year. Topics for these events have included issues of:
1. health
2. sexual orientation
3. African-American women's perspectives
4. acquaintance rape
5. violence against women
6. sports equity
The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women serves as a programming and advisory body that examines equity issues and monitors university policy. In this monitoring role, the commission seeks to ensure that the University and all of its constituencies are in compliance with nondiscrimination policies.
As we approach the year 2000, Clarion University's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women continues to monitor the campus climate for women and provide programming to best meet the needs of all women in achieving gender equity. The commission is committed to free inquiry and free expression, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination.
The Sexual Assault Network comprises community and university members committed to ending sexual violence in the community. The Sexual Assault Network includes representatives from the state and local police, SAFE, Passages, and Clarion University students, faculty, and administrators.
Among the programs the Sexual Assault Network has sponsored are STAND: A Community Opposes Sexual Assault (a series of presentations on sexual assault), Break the Silence Week, the Clothesline project, Men Speak Out about Sexual Assault, and the fraternity Violence Education Project.
Presidential Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns
The Presidential Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns will ensure and strengthen a visible, safe, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming community for students and employees of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions at Clarion University through education, advocacy, assessment, community engagement, and activism.
For more information on the Presidential Commissions, please contact the Social Equity Office at:
The Office of Social Equity
207 Carrier Administration Building
Clarion, PA 16214
Telephone: (814) 393-2109
Fax: (814) 393-1618
