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Five Presidential Commissions have been appointed by the president to promote equity and diversity within the university community. These commissions serve in an advisory capacity to the president and the office of Social Equity. The commissions and chairs are listed below:

Presidential Commission on Affirmative Action - Summary
Co-Chairs: Dr. Melissa Downes mdownes@clarion.edu ext. 2160
Ms. Kaersten Colvin-Woodruff      kcolvin@clarion.edu  ext.  2382

Presidential Commission on Disabilities - Summary
Co-Chairs: Dr. Shirley Johnson sjohnson@clarion.edu ext. 2746 

 Ms. Jennifer May  jmay@clarion.edu ext:  2095           

Presidential Commission on Human Relations - Summary
Co-Chairs: Dr. Mark L. Kilwein mkilwein@clarion.edu ext. 2486
Ms. Kaersten Colvin-Woodruff    kcolvin@clarion.edu ext. 2382

Presidential Commission on Sexual Harassment - Summary
Chair: Mr. Carl Callenburg ccallenburg@clarion.edu ext. 2449

Presidential Commission on the Status of Women - Summary
Co-Chairs: Dr. Ellen Foster efoster@clarion.edu  ext. 1278
Dr. Marian Dura mdura@clarion.edu  ext. 2465

Presidential Commission on Affirmative Action

The Presidential Commission on Affirmative Action is an officially recognized advisory committee which reports directly to the President. The Commission reviews, monitors, recommends, and reports upon the status of social equity and affirmative action at Clarion University. Each year the Commission prepares a report for the President which reviews current campus practices and activities, and advises as to the priorities for the coming year.

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:

• The Returning Adult and Commuting Students (RACS) Center
• The Women's Studies Program and minor
• The original Sexual Harassment Committee, now a presidential commission
• 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:

• health
• sexual orientation
• African-American women's perspectives
• acquaintance rape
• violence against women
• 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.

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