Campus Crime Update

Rapoport takes over deanship at UH Law

By Natalie Yeats
Daily Cougar Staff

The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women decided Friday to give itself more time to choose an outside firm that will help it identify women's issues on campus.

The commission, composed of male and female faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, was formed by University President Arthur K. Smith to undertake a comprehensive review of women's issues like salary iniquity and sexual harassment.

Committee Chairwoman Ileana Treviño presented the commission with proposals from five consulting groups, one of which will be picked to advise the commission.

Treviño said the proposals are very similar.

"Their methodology is very similar, so it's going to be subtleties that are going to differentiate them for us," she said.

Although a decision was expected Friday, Sandra Johnson, volunteer director of the Women's Resource Center, said she felt the members needed time to read through the proposals thoroughly in order to make good judgments.

After some discussion, members decided to review the proposals independently and e-mail their comments to Treviño by the end of this week. That would also give absent members a chance to comment on the proposals.

A subcommittee will review each member's comments, talk with the five firms and make a recommendation on which to hire at the commission's next meeting.

"This way, everyone can still provide input," said Arnold Eskin, professor of biology and biochemistry. "This group can take all the information and decide what questions to ask. They can do this in a few days, whereas the whole group would have to get back together in a week or two (otherwise)."

The five firms are Marilyn Manning, Kaludis Consulting Group, The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, DSZ and Peak Performance Group. The estimated project cost ranges from $22,500 to $38,850, but Treviño said she doesn't feel cost will be an issue.

The consensus of commission members is that the firm should be chosen based on qualifications rather than cost.

The commission's next meeting has yet to be scheduled.