Continued on page 4

In November 2006, Mich i gan voters approved Proposal 2, a constitutionalamendment banning certain forms of affirmative action on the basis ofra c e, ge n d e r, ethnicity, color, or national origin in public education, publ i ce m p l oyment and government contra c t i n g. It is important to note that pro-g rams or services may still be targeted to women or underre p re s e n t e dminorities, so long as no one is excluded on the basis of ra c e, ge n d e r, color,ethnicity or national origin. The law also permits affirmative action effo r t sthat are re q u i red in order to ach i eve or maintain eligibility for fe d e ral pro-g rams and funds. Proposal 2 took effect in late December of 2006.

Michigan Difference Campaign Finale

We will be celebrating the end of the Michigan DifferenceCampaign and thanking those who have been part of its success. Look for information about campaign finale events and celebrations taking place Thursday, November 13 throughSunday, November 16.

Continued on page 3

B e fo re the vote, CEW was very active in educating Mich i gan re s i d e n t sabout the potential impact of the Proposal on women, individuals and com-munities of color, and on the economic development of the state. Less thant wo years after implementation, what can we say about the responses toand consequences of Prop 2?

For the Center for the Education of WomenCEW has taken a number of steps in the wake of Proposal 2:

❂ Speaking out about the impact of anti-affi rm a t i ve action initiative s

❂ Creating our Community College Tra n s fer Student Progra m , wo rking in concertwith a larger UM initiative to increase tra n s fe rs by community college students to theU n i ve rsity of Michigan

❂ Creating our Crossing Boundaries Project, which promotes Unive rsity and Detroit-area community collaborations and focuses on the intersection of race and gender

❂ Expanding our scholarship program to meet gender- n e u t ral requirements, w h i l efocusing on a targeted outreach

❂ D e veloping new capacity for staff mentoring and leadership development throughthe Women of Color Task Force

❂ C o n t i nuing to provide support and advocacy for women of color faculty throughour Women of Color in the A c a d e my Project

Two Years Later: Assessing the Impact of Proposal 2

S E R V I C E R E S E A R C H A D V O C A C Y F a l l 2 0 0 8

J e an : Wh at aspects of CEW'scounseling and program serv i c e sdo you want our re a d e rs to knowab o u t ?

Va l : We are proud that we havebeen able to maintain all our coun-seling and many of our progr a m sas free services, to allow people to come to CEW and planfor wh a t ever it is they want to dowith their lives.

A C o nversation with CEW’s Counseling and Programs Staff

K i rs t e n : Val's point is really key.One of the things that's hard to put avalue on is the fact that the Centero ffers high quality services to apopulation that needs to find wo r k ,needs more education, needs to getbetter jobs than they have. A n dt h ey're often the least able to aff o r dex p e n s ive job search fi rms.

Jacquie: It is important to empha-size that counseling is a core

s e rvice CEW provides to the c o m m u n i t y. Many people say tome, “Oh, I didn't know you serve dthe community.”

Va l : A b s o l u t e ly! Some peopleassume that, by supporting CEW'sCounseling and Programs Fund forexample, they're giving money tothe University of Michigan for stu-dent services that ought to be cov-ered by tuition.

I want to stress that over fifty per-cent of the population we see atCEW is non-University ofM i c h i gan, so they're also support i n gthe community.

K i rs t e n : And there's ve ry much afeeling in the public that big publ i cu n iversities like Michigan have aresponsibility to give back to thestate, to support the economy, help

As we ap p ro a ch the end of the Mich i gan Diffe rence Campaign inD e c e m b e r, we focus our attention on the Center’s counseling and p rogram serv i c e s , a reas that remain underfunded.

CEW re s e a rcher Jean Waltman met re c e n t ly with members of the Center'scounseling and prog rams team to talk about the unique and important services they offer to University and Ann A r b o r- a rea community members.

P resent for the conv e rsation we re Kirsten Elling, CEW Managing Dire c t o rand Associate Director for Counseling, Prog rams and Services; Va l e r i eE aglin, Senior Counselor; Doreen Mura s k y, Senior Counselor; Caro ly nL ew i s - S t o n e, Senior Counselor; Jacquie Bowman, the Center's newCommunity College Tra n s fer Student Prog ram Coordinator and Counselor( p i c t u red right); and Janice Reuben, CEW Prog ram Coord i n a t o r( p i c t u red left).

Page 2

CEW STA F F

Kirsten Elling, Managing Director,Associate Director for Counseling, Programs

and Services

Susan Kaufmann,A s s o c i ate Director for A d v o c a c y

Carmela AlcantaraLouise August

Kristina BinghamJacqueline Bowman

Eilisha DermontValerie EaglinMarlese Grant

Jackie JohnsonRoxann Keating

Carolyn Lewis-StoneJeanne Miller

Catherine MuellerDoreen MuraskyJanice ReubenV. Thandi SuleBeth Sullivan

Jean WaltmanAudrey Williams

Betsy Wilson

D i rector Emeri t aCarol Hollenshead

A ffiliated ScholarJana Nidiffer

G raduate Student Re s e arc h e rHeather Branton

L e a d e rship CouncilLisa Baker, Ann Arbor, MI

Jean W. Campbell, Ann Arbor MIMolly H. Dobson, Ann Arbor MISusan S. Gutow, Ann Arbor, MI

Constance M. Kinnear, Ann Arbor, MIAnne E. Lehker, Milford, MI

Robert D. Oliver, Ann Arbor, MIMargaret A. Riecker, Midland MI

Ann Sneed Schriber, Ann Arbor MIMarina v. N. Whitman, Ann Arbor MI

E m e ritae CouncilMenakka M. Bailey, Ann Arbor, MI

Nancy Barbour, Alexandria, VANorma C. Barfield, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Ellen M. Byerlein, Petoskey, MILois P. Cohn, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Julie F. Cummings, Birmingham, MIMartha Meier Dean, Newton Square, PA

Beverly B. Denbo, Bethesda, MDAnthony Derezinski, Ann Arbor MIAnne Duderstadt, Ann Arbor, MI

Susan S. Florsheim, Highland Park, ILTwink Frey, Grand Rapids, MI

Beverley Geltner, Ann Arbor, MIMatina Souretis Horner, Belmont, MA

Judith H. Lax, Ann Arbor, MIAshley M. Maentz, Lake Bluff, IL

William Martin, Ann Arbor, MIRebecca McGowan, Ann Arbor, MI

Ann V. Parfet, Kalamazoo, MILana B. Pollack, Ann Arbor, MISheila M. Potiker, La Jolla, CA

Kathleen K. Power, Ann Arbor, MIDesma Reid-Coleman, Detroit, MI

Karla Scherer, Chicago, ILMartha R. Seger, Ann Arbor, MI

Carol S. Smokler, Boca Raton, FLMaxine J. Snider, Chicago, ILNellie M. Varner, Detroit, MI

Erica A. Ward, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Center for the Education of Women330 East Liberty

Ann Arbor, MI 48104734.764.6005

www.cew.umich.edu

F R O M T H E M A N A G I N G D I R E C T O R

Center for the Educat ion of Women U n i vers it y o f Michigan Fa ll 2008

In this Issue:

Page 3 CEW ‘s Library Expands its Reach

Page 4 A Conversation with CEW Counselors Continues

Page 6 A Molly Dobson Thank You

Page 7 A Most Generous Gift

WOCAP:Women of Color in the Academy Project

Page 8 CEW’s Research GarnersNational Attention

've met many of CEW's friends,but for those of you who don'tknow me, I've been serving asManaging Director of the Centersince January of this year. AsCarol Hollenshead began planningfor her retirement this past June, Itook on the day-to-day managementof CEW's activities and workedclosely with Carol to assure asmooth transition period. Thesearch for a new Director of CEWis ongoing and will continue intothe Fall semester. It is clear thatthe search committee, Senior ViceProvost Monts, and ProvostSullivan are all committed to find-ing the best candidate to lead CEWinto the next decade. I know that Ispeak on behalf of the staff when Isay how delighted I am that thefuture of the Center is so importantto others in the University.

While serving as ManagingDirector is a challenging task, it ismade much easier by the profes-sionalism, expertise, and enthusi-asm of CEW staff members. CEWremains productive, innovative andvital. It is truly amazing to considerhow much is accomplished eachyear by our dedicated staff! In thepast year, for example, our coun-selors provided nearly 1,000appointments, we offered 76 programs, we awarded over 40scholarships, and outcomes of ourresearch were reported through presentations, several reports, andthrough the popular media. Ournew website segment “CEW inAction” is being utilized by numer-ous individuals seeking to make adifference through advocacy andaction.

We have a busy Fall semesterahead, with new initiatives, astrong slate of program offerings,enhancements of existing efforts,and a celebration of the completionof the Michigan Difference capitalcampaign. In this newsletter webring you a discussion of our coun-seling efforts, giving you an insideglimpse into the work of our professional counselors and theconcerns that participants bring toCEW. An examination ofMichigan and CEW endeavors inthe post-Proposal 2 environmentand a review of research resultsthat are garnering national atten-tion update you on our continuingresearch and advocacy efforts. You will also discover how theCEW Library is becoming accessi-ble to a wider audience through anew web presence.

This Fall, we hope to see you atone of CEW's many programs,whether on presentation skills,financial fitness, work-family bal-ance, career change, success strate-gies for graduate students, or anyof our other topics. Join us inFebruary for a lecture by RadhikaCoomaraswamy, UN Under-Secretary-General, Special

Representative for Children andArmed Conflict, funded by theChristobel Kotelawala WeerasingheFund. Encourage a student whohas had an interrupted educationalpath to apply for one of CEW'sscholarships. And gear up for theWinter semester when CEW willwelcome Malika Dutt of the international human rights organiza-tion Breakthrough as our next TwinkFrey Visiting Social Activist. Markyour calendar for the 2009 CareerConference, presented by theWomen of Color Task Force andscheduled for February 27.

As always, we invite you to takeadvantage of our counselors' expert-ise as you consider life transitions,and to keep up to date with all ouractivities through the CEW websitewww.cew.umich.edu. Our researchpapers are available online, and theNational Clearinghouse onAcademic Worklife (www.acade-micworklife.org) provides access toreports, articles and policies regard-ing academic work. We're lookingforward to yet another productiveand stimulating year, and we thankyou for your ongoing support of andengagement with CEW.

While serving as Managing Director is a challenging task,it is made much easier by the professionalism, expertise,and enthusiasm of CEW staff members. CEW remainsproductive, innovative and vital.

I

Kirsten Elling

CEW Managing Director

O ver Fo rty Years of Prov iding Ser v i c e , R e s e a rch and A d vo c a c y Page 3

For the University of MichiganU n d e rgraduate Admissions The Unive rsity of Michigan admitted 7% fe we ru n d e rrepresented minority underg raduate students in Fall 2007 than in 2006. F o rboth the 2007 and 2008 admissions cycles, the Unive rsity used software that identi-fies schools and neighborhoods in Michigan and across the nation that send relative lyfew students to UM, so they can be targeted for more intensive recru i t i n g . T h o s einclude not only urban but also ru ral and lowe r-income commu n i t i e s . In addition,President Mary Sue Coleman and other senior leaders made many appearances andphone calls across the state encouraging students, p a rt i c u l a rly in communities ofc o l o r, to apply to and attend UM. As a result of those effo rt s , in 2008 there was adecrease of only 2% in underrepresented minority underg raduate students who paidenrollment deposits. In total, from 2006 to 2008, u n d e rrepresented minorities fe l lfrom 12% to 11% of admitted students.

As the 2008-2009 academic year begins, the Unive rsity is launching a new Centerfor Educational Outreach and Academic Success that will create, coordinate and sup-p o rt effo rts by many academic units across the campus to wo rk with school sys-t e m s , s t u d e n t s , p a r e n t s , t e a c h e rs , religious congregations and commu n i t y - b a s e do rganizations to keep dive rse students moving successfully through the educationalpipeline so they can be prepared to attend UM and other colleges and unive rs i t i e s .In addition, UM is tightening connections to tribal colleges and to community col-l e g e s .The Unive rsity also offe rs outreach programs through its Detroit Center.

The Unive rsity of Michigan has created two new scholarships to replace others thattook race into account. Michigan Tradition Awards are for students from underr e p r e-sented schools and neighborhoods. Michigan Experience Awards are for studentswho have participated in state or fe d e ral early - awareness or college-readiness pro-g rams typically based on socioeconomic status, l i ke Upward Bound,Talent Search andG e a r- U p. In addition, the Unive rsity has signifi c a n t ly stepped up effo rts to raise fundsfor need-based scholarships in order to free low- and moderate-income studentsfrom loans. The Unive rsity of Michigan is committed to meeting the full demonstra t-ed financial need of all in-state students.

G raduate Admissions From 2006 to 2007, there was a 4% decrease in thepercentage of self-identified underrepresented minority students entering gra d u a t eand professional progra m s , with a significant increase in students choosing not toselect a racial designation.

Faculty Hiring and Pro m o t i o n The Unive rs i t y, along with all other larg efe d e ral contra c t o rs , c o n t i nues to have fe d e ral affi rm a t i ve action obligations related toe m p l oy m e n t , including taking affi rm a t i ve steps to dive rsify applicant pools in job cate-g o ries that are underrepresented by race or gender. N o n e t h e l e s s , in recent ye a rsthe Unive rsity of Michigan has made no progress in increasing the percentage ofwomen assistant and associate profe s s o rs . Women still make up less than one-thirdof the faculty–and only one-fifth of full profe s s o rs . From 2000 to 2006 there we r eno gains in the representation of women of color among female assistant profe s s o rs ;in fact, the percentage of all new female tenu r e - t rack faculty who are women ofcolor dropped sharp ly in 2005 and 2006. While these problems pre-date Prop. 2 , i tm ay well exacerbate them, as potential faculty recruits perceive the state to beu n we l c o m i n g .

A May 2008 report released by the UM Committee for a Multicultural Unive rs i t yl o o ked at faculty hiri n g , by ra c e, since 1994 and found that blacks curr e n t ly represento n ly 5% of full-time, t e nu r e - t rack teaching faculty and Hispanics, 3 % . F u rt h e rm o r e,since 1994, “there has been no significant change in the hiring rates for blacks andH i s p a n i c s .” In addition, the committee found that “the trend in the participation lev-els of black and Hispanic assistant profe s s o rs has exhibited negative tendencies,” a n d“ black faculty tend to leave the Unive rsity at a higher rate than all other facultyg r o u p s .” A g a i n , while these historic and contempora ry problems cannot be attri b-uted to the passage of Prop. 2 , it may exacerbate them by contri buting to a wo rs e n-ing racial climate and fo s t e ring the perception outside Michigan that the state is

ow anyone, whether they are on the UM

campus or in Cambodia, can learnwhich books are in the CEWlibrary, and read a brief abstract ofthe contents,” says Jeanne Miller,CEW's Director of InformationServices. This summer, Jeanneand her staff of library studentworkers have been converting theexisting online catalog to a newweb-based product accessible viathe CEW website.

E x p anding CEW’s Re a c h

“Our resources are now availableto a much broader audience,”Jeanne notes. “The change to thisnew system expands CEW's reach

in significant ways. First, it meansthat women and men who areunable to come into the office canstill find resources to address theirimmediate needs. For example, awoman staying in a domesticabuse shelter could easily accessour resources.”

Many of the books in CEW'slibrary are also available for use inpublic libraries. “We are simply amore focused collection, meaningthat a search in our catalog is like-ly to result in more appropriate ref-erences and fewer extraneoustitles.”

Jeanne also points out that wealready know that CEW's websiteis used internationally, often bywomen's groups in developingcountries who are establishingagencies for women. Now, inaddition to learning about CEW's

services and programs, theseactivists can use the website todevelop book collections specificto their needs.

Users can access the library catalogfrom a link on the resources sectionof the CEW website(www.cew.umich.edu/resources).Books can be found through author,title, subject or keyword searchesand saved to a “clipboard” list forprinting. Each book record indi-cates whether the book circulates oris on reference, gives the number ofcopies, and shows whether thebook is available. Most recordsalso have a summary description ofthe book’s contents.

Activating the System

Work continues on bar coding theover four thousand books in theCEW library in order to activatethe circulation portion of the sys-tem this Fall. Future plans includeincorporating vertical file materi-als–reports, papers, training manu-als, and other materials that need tobe kept in files rather than onshelves. “This system, with itsincreased integration of resources,its circulation module, and its abili-ty to take CEW resources out of theoffice and into communities, is animportant step in making CEW a24/7 resource in Ann Arbor andacross the globe,” explains Jeanne,“and we are grateful to donors whocontributed to CEW's library fundduring the Michigan DifferenceCampaign for making this step possible.”Continued on page 6

CEW’s library expands its reach thanksto the campaign library fund

“NThe Impact of Proposal 2 Continued from page 1

Center for the Educat ion of Wo m e n U n i vers it y o f Michigan Fa l l 2008 Page 4

D o re e n : Lots of the people we seeare at transition points in their live s .A professional woman, for ex a m p l e ,who's come to Ann Arbor as part ofa dual-career couple and needssomeone to help her think throughher options.

C aro l y n : I see lots of people wh oi n i t i a l ly come to CEW wanting job-search skills. We talk about fi l l i n gout the application, presenting yo u r-self well in the interv i ew. We alsotalk through some of the issuesrelated to how you're feeling aboutyour current work and how to beg i nto explore other possibilities. If itt u rns out you need more psycholog-ical counseling, we can refer yo ufor that too. If you want someinterest or abilities testing, we canrefer you for that. CEW is theumbrella place where people canb egin to lay it all out and talk about it.

Val: Of course, we might also talkto you about whether you have eve rconsidered doing other things withyour life. But, for me, that type ofdiscussion happens only when Isense it would be appropriate underthe circumstances.

K i rst e n : The key is to see thepotential that eve ryone has. So ifsomeone comes to me because she'st rying to find a retail sales job andshe hasn't gotten her GED, I'mh a p py to help her with the applica-tion process. But I'm also going toask, “Gosh, have you thought aboutfinishing your GED? What are theobstacles there?” I want to helpt r o u bleshoot and problem solve. Tobe really frank and say, “You know,if you had that high school diploma,or an associate's degree, you couldget a different job.” I think a lot ofp a rticipants experience those ques-tions as a belief in their potential.

I remember working with a wo m a nwho had a bachelor's degree andwas working in a fa i r ly low - l eve ljob at the UM. She was really goodat what she did, but really sick of itand not making much money. Shewas applying for other jobs but noth aving success in getting inter-

v i ews. Looking at how she had herresume set up, I saw that she'ddescribed her educational back-ground at the ve ry bottom. “Yo uh ave a bachelor's degr e e ,” I told her.“I'd really like to see you highlightt h a t .” She was seeing herself as notve ry qualifi e d, with not a lot too ff e r. We rewo r ked her resume, andshe got a better job. And part of hersuccess was just seeing herself in ad i fferent light.

J e an: In other wo rd s , it soundsl i ke your goal is to meet peoplewh e re they are and wh e re theirneeds are, but at the same time tohelp them re c og n i ze a potentialt h at they may not see in them-s e l ves. A n d, if they are intere s t e dand willing, to help lead them ind i rections wh e re they hadn't con-s i d e red being able to go .

K i rs t e n: I think people cert a i n lyfind it helpful to have a soundingb o a r d, breaking things down intom a n a g e a ble stages and thinkingthrough it with someone. Then Is ay, “When do you want to comeback?” I might see a person threetimes over the course of three to sixmonths, and they tell me, “If wehadn't scheduled that next appoint-ment, I might have just left feelingthat these were some great ideas,but I might not have taken action.The fact that I knew I had to comeback and tell what I'd found andwhere I wanted to go from here wa sr e a l ly helpful.” T h ey were account-a ble to someone.

That's a theme that I often hear, thatsomeone is taking them seriously.Often people will say, “Well thismight be silly, but I've just alway swanted to open my own bu s i n e s s ,”or “I've always wanted to go to gr a ds c h o o l ,” or “I've always wanted toget a bachelor's degree even thoughno one in my fa m i ly ever has.” A n dpeople really internalize the fa c tthat a CEW counselor believes it's apossibility and takes it seriously.I'm amazed at how powerful thatcan be just in a couple of sessions.Because, I think some of these folksdon't necessarily have that in otherp a rts of their life. There's not va l i-dation for their ambitions.

D o re e n : We take a ve ry holisticapproach. So CEW is a great placeto start when you know you want tom a ke a change in your life. We ' l lhelp you figure out the details andd evelop a plan of action.

Va l : Someone once described CEWas a place that sees the “whole per-s o n .” Maybe a participant has selfesteem issues, or maybe she doesn'tk n ow how to dream. We often see

t u rn thee c o n o mya r o u n d .The Centerfor theE d u c a t i o nof Wo m e nis a unitthat really

helps UM fulfill that mission. Weare helping people return to school,switch careers; when they're laido ff, to retool their skills and fi n dother jobs–which is ultimately help-ing to create a more productive ,f u l ly employed workforce in thestate.

D o reen: I want to stress that ourultimate goal with all the people wesee is to enhance the quality of theirl ives, whether that invo l ves theirwork, education, relocation, retire-ment, financial planning, or anyother issues they're fa c i n g .

Jan i c e : And they can learn aboutresources too, access to resources inthe community and at theU n ive r s i t y. People in the communi-ty may not have the connection tothe University that we have.

J e an: H ow would you describe thepeople who come to CEW fo rc o u n s e l i n g ?

K i rs t e n : Well, of course we obv i-o u s ly do help UM students. T h eyh ave access to the Unive r s i t y ' sCareer Services office as well, but Ithink some students find that weadd a complementary perspective ,depending on their life circum-stances and especially if they ' r enon-traditional students.

We serve the whole spectrum. Wefi n a n c i a l ly assist some UM studentswho, for example, can't make theirrent and are about to be ev i c t e d, orwho need winter coats for theirkids. We also work with theS a l vation A rmy, the Wo m e n ' sCenter of Southeast Michigan andother organizations to find help forthe students and others who come tosee us.

An essential pwork: A conv

our couContinue

O ver Fo r ty Years of Prov iding Serv i c e , R e s e a rch and A d vo c a c y Page 5

people from age 18 to 70 and all thec o m p l ex life transitions that happenat different stages. That defi n i t e lykeeps us on our toes and makes forr e a l ly rich work.

Jan i c e : It also is the basis for thep r ograms CEW offers to the publ i c .The program topics are not justpulled out of the air. We talk withthe counselors about issues thatt h ey're seeing and then create aworkshop schedule that addressesthose needs. It's one thing for thecounselors to suggest options totheir participants. But then they cans ay, “We have a program coming upn ext month that deals with thatissue. Maybe you could sit in ont h a t .” People come out of progr a m sexcited about possibilities, not justin their own lives but in the commu-n i t y. I've witnessed people cry i n gin the corner because they're sofilled with passion for what theymight do.

Val: It's also important to mentionthat, as we gather up all these issuesthat people bring to us, we forwa r dthem to CEW's advo c a cy team, as away to promote change in theU n iversity and in the community.We ' ve been known to call diff e r e n td e p a rtments and say, “We ' ve had asteady stream of your students coming over here and needing sup-p o rt. Perhaps you need to addressthat issue,” and they have. After all,the whole reason CEW was fi r s te s t a blished over 40 years ago was tohelp the University be more userf r i e n d ly to the community, fa c u l t yand staff .

women who, when you ask themwhat they'd like, they just look atyou with a blank stare. T h ey ' ven ever had the option in life to eve nthink about what they want.

C arolyn: We don't have an agendawith the people who walk in thed o o r, whereas fa m i ly members ands i g n i ficant others may have anagenda or an investment in theirmaking a certain decision. So we ' r eopen, we're not judgmental andwe're honest. We may say, “Thatdoesn't sound like a good idea bu t ,if it's something you want to do,let's talk about how you might pur-sue it.” Or “That sounds like it'sgoing to be ve ry difficult. Howmight you do that?”

Va l : And I think it's important topoint out all the collaborationsCEW has with other local colleg e s .We work with Eastern, Cleary,WCC, Concordia, eve ry b o d yaround here. Representatives fromthose schools sit on our panels forconferences, they do wo r k s h o p swith us, we go to their campuses byi nvitation. We might advise some-one to transfer to Concordia, forexample, if it seemed to fit theirneeds more closely.

Ja c q u i e : L i kewise, CEW has beenworking with community colleg estudents and transfer students sincethe ve ry beginning. Our newCommunity College Tr a n s f e rStudent Program puts those eff o rt sfront and center, allowing us to sup-p o rt that population in a more com-p r e h e n s ive way. CEW will be abl eto provide a welcoming env i r o n-ment for potential transfer studentsto discuss wh a t ever their concern smight be, to learn how to nav i ga t ethe UM systems, and to hear aboutthe steps for moving from a com-munity college to the University ofM i c h i ga n .

K i rs t e n : It's all about the fit for aperson's goals. CEW is also uniquein working with people across thelifespan. We do see college stu-dents trying either to come to col-l ege, transfer, go to grad school, orfind a job after college. But we alsowork with people who have justs t a rted a fa m i ly, or who are goingthrough a divorce, or who are mov-ing into retirement. We're equippedand experienced in working with

C aro l y n : I think about how manyp a rticipants we see by virtue ofword of mouth from people wh oh ave been here before. We oftenwork with men, for ex a m p l e ,because their mothers or wives haves a i d, “Oh yeah, CEW sees men.Yo u ' ve got to go!”

One last thing I'd like to add: Ithink I can speak for all of us wh e nI say that we enjoy our work enor-m o u s ly.

K i rsten: Not to toot our own horntoo much, but I'm proud of the quality of service that CEW pro-v i d e s – e s p e c i a l ly given our breadthof service, the integration of coun-seling and other services, the fa c tthat we work with people from allwalks of life. It can be ve ry com-plicated. Our counselors are soexperienced and dedicated and tal-ented. We have a phenomenal staff .

p a rt of CEW’sersation with n s e l o r s

m page 1

Please help us fully fund theseimportant services. If you areinterested in learning more aboutcontributing to the Counseling andPrograms Fund, please contactBetsy Wilson at 734.764.7291 oremail her at ecwilson@umich.edu

If you would like to make anappointment with a CEW coun-selor, please call 734.764.6005.

If you would like more informa-tion about CEW’s programs andservices, please see our website atwww.cew.umich.edu

( P i c t u red far left): Jacquie Bowman, theCenter's new Community College Prog ra mC o o rd i n a t o r

(Center photo from left): Doreen Mura s k y,Senior Counselor; Jean Waltman, SeniorR e s e a rcher and W r i t e r; Caro lyn Lew i s -S t o n e, part-time Senior Counselor; andK i rsten Elling, CEW Managing Dire c t o rand Associate Director for Counseling,P rog rams and Services

( P i c t u red below, from left): Kirsten Elling;Janice Reuben, CEW Prog ra mC o o rd i n a t o r; and Valerie Eaglin, SeniorC o u n s e l o r

Photos by Lin Jones, Photo Services

“ I

Center for the Educat ion of Women U n i vers it y o f Michigan Fa ll 2008 Page 6

from one of her scholars . “I ve ry quicklygot absorbed with my CEW scholars ,”she explains, “because of their infi n i t epromise and their obvious need fo rfinancial assistance to complete theire d u c a t i o n s . D o n o rs who support thesetalented and socially committed studentsm a ke a difference in today's dividedwo rld by better preparing the scholarsto meet and resolve the challenges wef a c e.”

As appealing as the scholarship progra mi s , M o l ly believes that the other serv i c e sCEW provides are equally valuabl e. S h ehas therefore earm a rked her recentcampaign gift to the Counseling andP r o g rams Fund, an area in need of fur-ther support . “Counseling is the lifeblood of the Center. It dri ves theresearch agenda, i n fo rms the advo c a c yp r o g ra m , and touches so many live s .

W hy? Because when you help an indi-vidual advance through education ande m p l oy m e n t , you not only impact a life.You impact a family. A commu n i t y. As t a t e. A country. A wo rl d .”

M o l ly Dobson and her family are we l lk n ow n , well loved members of the com-mu n i t y. M o l ly and her late husband BillD o b s o n , alums and longtime support e rsof the Unive rsity of Michigan, raised theirf a m i ly in Ann A r b o r, where Bill–and latertheir son Steve–was president of theDobson-McOmber Insurance A g e n c y.

O ver the ye a rs , M o l ly has been active ina number of local foundations and non-p r o fit groups. Because of her outstand-ing commitment to various UM units,M o l ly received the 2006 Unive rsity ofMichigan Hermelin Award for Fundra i s i n gVolunteer Leaders h i p. To d ay, in addition

to CEW, M o l ly devotes herself to T h eN e u t ral Zone, a dow n t own gatheri n gplace for teens. “It's import a n t ,” she tellsu s , “ for teens to have a home aw ay fromh o m e, a place where they can spreadtheir wings, hone their skills, h ave a vo i c e,and get to know young people fromother schools.”

M o l ly's devotion to the people CEWs e rves is strong, and she has alw ays beenan ardent and compelling spoke s p e rs o n ,telling stories of lives changed by CEW'se f fo rts and encouraging her fe l l ow citi-zens to join her in supporting the Center.Because Molly inspires respect, g e n e r o s i t yand action, she leads many others todonate their time and resources toC E W. “It's easy,” she say s , “to believe inan organization with such a vital m i s s i o n .”

M o l ly realizes that she leaves theL e a d e rship Council at a time when CEWis at a crossroads. “I salute CarolHollenshead for all she's done to sustainand help CEW flourish over the past 20ye a rs . At the same time, I know thatCEW will continue to grow and toa g g r e s s i ve ly tackle new issues.”

“Although I'm leaving the Council, I'll c e rt a i n ly maintain my association withC E W,” s ays Molly. “My heart will alw ay sbe there.” To Molly Dobson we say,“Thank yo u , dear fri e n d , for all you havedone to enhance the Center for theEducation of Wo m e n .”

“Counseling is the life blood of theC e n t e r. It drives the re s e a rch agenda, informs the advocacy p rog ram, and touches so manylives. W hy? Because when youhelp an individual advance thro u g heducation and employment, you noto n ly impact a life. You impact a f a m i ly. A community. A state. A country. A wo rl d .”

hostile to people of color. Because hiring of female and underrepresented minori t yfaculty declined ra p i d ly in Califo rnia fo l l owing passage of that state's anti-affi rm a t i veaction amendment, these trends warrant close attention.

For the State of MichiganG overnor's Exe c u t i ve Ord e r After passage of Proposal 2, G ov. J e n n i fe rG ranholm issued Exe c u t i ve Order 2006-7, Promoting Dive rsity in Michigan, a f fi rm i n gthat “the continued promotion of dive rsity in Michigan is a vital component in thestate's educational effo rts and an important aspect of Michigan's economic deve l o p-ment effo rt s .”

K-12 Education According to the Michigan Women's Commission, fo l l ow i n gpassage of Proposal 2, some school districts have stopped allowing the A m e ri c a nAssociation of Unive rsity Women (AAUW) and other groups to host technologycamps for girls in the public schools, e ven though the Michigan Civil RightsCommission has defined educational programs affected by the amendment as onlythose that “ m a t riculate to a degree.”

F i n ancial Aid Nothing in Proposal 2 bars private entities from awarding desig-nated scholars h i p s . F o l l owing passage, the Unive rsity of Michigan Alumni A s s o c i a t i o n ,an independent non-profit org a n i z a t i o n , began raising private funds to create newd i ve rsity scholarships for admitted Unive rsity of Michigan students. In addition, a newn o n - p r o fit org a n i z a t i o n ,The Imagine Fund, is dedicated to advancing dive rsity in high-er education. It wo rks with donors who are interested in creating scholarships “ t o

keep the doors of opportunity open for those whose ra c e, c o l o r, s e x , ethnicity ornational origin may otherwise limit their path, or who share other chara c t e ri s t i c s ,including sexual ori e n t a t i o n , disabilities or religious affiliation that enable them to bri n gd i ve rsity to Michigan public or private colleges and unive rs i t i e s .”

C o n t ra c t i n g A survey by the Grand Rapids Equal Opportunity Director of thecity's 2007 construction contracts found that, compared with 2006, s p e n d i n gincreased by 41%. H owe ve r, the value of contracts with minori t y - owned companiesfell by 44% and with wo m e n - owned businesses by 47%. According to the director,the declines can be attri buted to Proposal 2. D u ring the same peri o d , the value ofc o n t racts with fi rms owned by white men shot up by 405%. G rand Rapids Publ i cSchools also reported a drop in minority subcontra c t i n g . Other Michigan cities havenot publ i c ly reported data showing impact on women or minority contra c t o rs .

Continuing our Eff o rt sProposal 2 poses a serious social and economic challenge to Michigan. E f fo rts tohelp women and underrepresented minorities succeed in the educational and careerpipeline must be a top pri o ri t y, for the good of individuals, f a m i l i e s , and specific com-munities as well as for the collective well-being of the State.

Look for more info rmation about the impact of Proposal 2 on our website under CEW inA c t i o n . Director of Advocacy Sue Kaufmann is developing a full report on this topic to beposted in the next few months. w w w. c ew. u m i c h . e d u

Thank you, Molly.

t's wonderful to know that aplace like the Center for the Educationof Women exists on our Michigan cam-p u s . When it comes to CEW, my enthu-siasm knows no bounds!” It's easy to seew hy Molly Dobson is one of theCenter's most beloved fri e n d s . And whywe especially honor her now, as shesteps down after 18 ye a rs as a memberof the Center's Leadership Council.

M o l ly has been with us from the begin-n i n g . As president of Michigan's Lucile B.Conger Alumnae Group in the mid-1 9 6 0 s , M o l ly was among the Center'sfi rst support e rs . Since then, she has con-t i nued to be one of our best and mostp e rs u a s i ve ambassadors , c a rrying CEW'ss t o ry to her friends and fe l l ow A n nArbor citize n s .

In the early 1990s, M o l ly became morea c t i ve ly invo l ved in the Center, fi rst read-ing scholarship applications and then joining the newly fo rmed CEWL e a d e rship Council. M o l ly has been onthe Council since then, a role she relin-quishes this Fall. In the early '90s, M o l lyalso endowed the Molly DobsonS c h o l a rship at CEW. This scholarship hasbeen awarded for 16 consecutive ye a rsto a total of 22 Unive rsity graduate andu n d e rg raduate students in fields asd i ve rse as nu rs i n g , e d u c a t i o n , e n g i n e e ri n g ,the art s , science and the ministry.

Sitting in her living room, M o l ly points toa bonsai plant on a nearby tabl e, a gift

The Impact of Proposal 2 Continued from page 3

Ihe Center for the Education of Women is honored to announce a generous gift from Lee Gorman and her husband Mark Ritz. Ta k i n ga d vantage of the University's Michigan Endowment Return Strateg y(MERS), Lee and Mark recently donated $260,000 to CEW as part of theM i c h i gan Difference Campaign.

B o rn in Massachusetts, Lee Gorman gr ew up and lives in Ann A r b o r. Sheholds a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration fromthe University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, as well as a bache-lor's degree in mechanical engineering from Lawrence Te c h n o l og i c a lU n ive r s i t y.

When Lee talks about her life and career, it's clear that she has ex p e r i e n c e dsome of the gender-based challenges about which CEW is concerned. Notthat those challenges thwa rted her. “The best way to ensure that I'll accom-plish something is to tell me that I can't do it.” With her “stubborn nature,”her love of learning and her intense work ethic, Lee has had a distinguishedcareer in the automotive industry, beginning as a financial analyst at

Ford Motor Company and including a number of high level marketing andmanagement positions. Mark, who earned an engineering degree fromU M - D e a r b o rn, also has an automotive background and is curr e n t ly a Vi c ePresident at Lear Corporation.

Both Mark and Lee have long supported the University of Michigan. Incombination with their current CEW gift, they are contributing to radio sta-tion WUOM and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise.

Lee tells us that she and Mark value education and the power it has tochange lives. T h ey also honor hard work, individual initiative, and self-reliance. At the same time, Lee knows “the importance of young people,e s p e c i a l ly young women, having others who believe in them and who off e rs u p p o rt and encouragement to help them understand and seek their goals.”

Once the couple had decided to make a Michigan Difference contribu t i o n ,Lee did a great deal of research, looking for units at the University thatreflected those values and interests. She found CEW to be a close match.“I can see that, through its counseling and other services, the Center wo r k sto remove barriers, to improve access, and to empower women to helpt h e m s e l ve s .”

Lee was struck by lines from an Apollinaire poem, recited by CEW friendI rma Wyman at Carol Hollenshead's recent retirement party: “Come to theedge, he said. T h ey said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. T h eycame. He pushed them and they flew.”

“This poem,” says Lee, “exe m p l i fies the role I see CEW so ably playing inthe lives of men and wo m e n – o ffering encouragement and support for theird r e a m s .”

We thank Lee Gorman and Mark Ritz for their confidence in the Center'smission and wo r k .

h ave been outlawe d .To this end,WO CAP has revised its mission toreflect a greater interest in advo c a c y, v i s-i b i l i t y, and collective action as viabl es t ru c t u ral interve n t i o n s .

The mission of WO CAP is now fo u r-fo l d : 1) to highlight the contri bu t i o n sthat women of color make to the uni-ve rsity community and to society at

l a rg e, both academically and cultura l ly ;2) to build a netwo rk of women ofcolor faculty that serves as a supportsystem for their research, a c a d e m i ccareer deve l o p m e n t , and enhancedcareer satisfaction, thus supporting theirr e t e n t i o n ; 3) to advocate on behalf ofwomen of color faculty and gra d u a t estudents by wo rking collective ly for pro-g r e s s i ve institutional change with thegoal of creating healthy and equitabl ee nvironments in which to engage ins c h o l a rly activity; and 4) to serve as amodel for future recruitment and reten-tion programs for women of color fac-ulty at the national and intern a t i o n a ll e ve l .

WOCAP Pro grams and Eve n t sWO CAP offe rs programs and activitiesto support the recru i t m e n t , r e t e n t i o n ,and well-being of women of color facul-t y, g raduate students and staff at theU n i ve rsity of Michigan. P r o g rams aredesigned to disseminate and show c a s ethe research of women of color schol-a rs , create opportunities for fe e d b a c kon wo rks in progress, cultivate mentor-ing relationships, build a sense of com-mu n i t y, foster professional deve l o p m e n t ,call attention to stru c t u ral barri e rs , d i a-logue about potential solutions, a n dfacilitate coalition-building with like -minded organizations at peer institu-t i o n s .WO CAP extends an invitation towomen of color faculty (both junior andsenior faculty), g raduate students ands t a f f , as well as allies, to participate inrelevant programming and wo rk togeth-er to address the stru c t u ral constra i n t sfaced by women of color in academia.

Carmela A l c a n t a ra is the Prog ra mC o o rdinator of the Women of Color inthe A c a d e my Project at CEW. Contacther at calcan@umich . e d u

O ver Fo r ty Years of Prov iding Serv i c e , R e s e a rch and A d vo c a c y Page 7

WOCAP: Working collectively forprogressive institutional change

“I can see that, through its counseling and other services, theCenter wo rks to re m ove barriers, to improve access, and to empowe rwomen to help themselves.”

Lee Gorm a n , CEW Support e r

WO C A P

A most generous gift

Issues related to the recru i t m e n t ,retention and promotion of wo m e nof color faculty gave rise to the deve l-opment of the Women of Color inthe A c a d e my Project (WO CAP) inJune 1994. After a series of discus-sions with women of color from vari-ous schools and colleges, the Centerfor the Education of Women and theWomen's Studies Program jointlysubmitted to the Office of A c a d e m i cand Multicultural A f f a i rs a proposalfor a series of activities to be under-t a ken over the course of three ye a rson behalf of women of color facultyand students at the Ann Arbor cam-pus of the Unive rsity of Michigan.The project has been ongoing sincethat time and has been jointly fundedby the Office of Academic andM u l t i c u l t u ral A f f a i rs and the Office ofthe Vice President for Research.

WO CAP was created with the initialc h a rges of highlighting the wo rk ofwomen of color faculty and creating as u p p o rt netwo rk among these schol-a rs . O ver the past 14 ye a rs ,WO CA Phas sponsored a range of activities fo rl o c a l , r e g i o n a l , and national audiences.These activities call attention to thes p e c i fic experi e n c e s , c o n t ri bu t i o n s ,and needs of women of color faculty,g raduate students and staff, and int u rn provide WO CAP with local andnational recognition for its effo rt s .For example, the Through My Lensvideo project in 1998 achieve dnational recognition for its port raya lof the unique and complex experi-ences of women of color faculty asthey active ly negotiated issues of insti-tutional climate, l i fe balance, and pro-fessional deve l o p m e n t .

Issues in the Po s t - P roposal 2E raDespite WO CA P ’s notable effo rt sover the past 14 ye a rs , the nu m b e rsof tenured and tenu r e - t rack wo m e nof color faculty remain relative ly stag-n a n t , and widespread aw a r e n e s sabout the stru c t u ral constra i n t simpeding their recru i t m e n t , r e t e n t i o n ,and promotion is limited.These issuesh ave great urgency in the post-Proposal 2 era , when many affi rm a t i veaction policies in the state of Michigan

330 East Liberty Ann A r b o r, M i c h i g a n48104-2274 Te l . 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 6 0 0 5

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ver the past several ye a r s ,CEW has conducted research onfa m i ly - f r i e n d ly policies in highereducation and on the work lives offa c u l t y. In addition, CEW createdand maintains the NationalClearinghouse on A c a d e m i cWo r k l i f e(www.academicworklife.org),which provides a database of bothpolicies and articles/reports regard-ing academic work. Researchersand campus administrators acrossthe country look to CEW for infor-mation and recommendationsregarding these issues.

The CEW research brief FamilyFriendly Policies in HigherEducation: A Five Year Report(www.cew.umich.edu/research/highered.htm) examines the status offamily-friendly policies in highereducation, and assesses change andprogress in the provision of suchpolicies to faculty. It summarizesand compares the findings from theCenter's 2002 study “FacultyWork/Family Policy Study” and our2007 study “Assessing Progress inFaculty Work-Family Policies andCareer Flexibility at AmericanInstitutions of Higher Education,”both funded by the Alfred P. SloanFoundation.

F i n d i n g s

Overall, the average number offamily-friendly policies per institu-tion has increased in the past fiveyears–from an average per institu-tion of 1.5 policies to 1.9, out of apossible 7 policies. Yet, institutionsstill do not offer a range of flexiblework policies.

The following are among the fre-quently offered policies:

❂ Te n u re clock extensionAllowing tenure-track faculty a period of time, typically one year, that will not be counted as part of their tenure-proba-tionary period–offered by 65%

of responding institutions on a formal, institution-wide basis

❂ Phased re t i re m e n tAllowing flexible retirement options and incentives for faculty to move graduallyaway from full-time work and facilitate the transition into retirement–47%

❂ U n p aid leave beyond the 12 weeks mandated by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Allowing faculty extended unpaid leaves in order to care for children or other family members or to receive personal health care–44%

The most frequently offered benefitis Paid Time Off for Pregnancy/Childbirth. Although 78% ofrespondents offered this benefit,nearly one in ten of the respon-dents–from all types of schools–reported no policy or acceptedpractice at their institution regard-ing time off for pregnancy/child-birth for biological mothers. Theseinstitutions could be at risk forbeing out of compliance with thePregnancy Discrimination Act of1978 if they offer paid leave to fac-ulty members for any other medicaldisability.

Our research distinguished betweenpolicies that were formal, written

and institution-wide versus policieswith less than universal coverage,such as written policies in onlysome schools/departments, unwrit-ten but common practices, or bene-fits offered on an individualizedbasis. While these lesser policiesapply to some individuals in somecircumstances, their lack of codifi-cation and institution-wide applica-tion likely leads to spotty coverageand the potential for discriminatorypractices.

As competition for top faculty,including women, has increased, sohave policies that, while usuallyavailable regardless of gender, aremore often used by women. Thetrend upwards demonstrates theincremental change that has beenoccurring on campuses across thecountry as institutions of highereducation seek to recruit and retainthe best faculty.

Assessing the research data, theCenter predicts there will be con-tinued emphasis by institutions onpolicies such as phased retirement,tenure clock extensions, and unpaidleaves after the period covered bythe FMLA, all providing flexibilityto faculty with little institutionalcost.

Based on CEW's national reputa-tion for research on family-friendlypolicies in academia, this researchbrief was a primary focus of a Julyarticle in the Chronicle of HigherEducation. In addition, because theCenter is seen as a valuableresource for the higher educationcommunity, Jeanne Miller, Directorof Information Services andPublications for CEW, will be dis-cussing CEW's research at anInvitational Presidential session forthe November conference of theAssociation for the Study of HigherEducation.

Center for the Education of Wo m e n University of Michigan

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CEW Research on Family-FriendlyPolicies Garners National Attention

Women of Color Task Force Conference 2009The UM Women of Color Task Force, a staff volunteer group dedicated to prov i d i n gp r o g rams and training opportunities that support the professional and pers o n a ld e velopment of UM employe e s , will host its 27th A n nual Career Conference onF ri d ay, F e b ru a ry 27, 2 0 0 9 , in the Michigan League.This ye a r, wo rkshops will beexpanded from 90 minutes to two hours . A total of 40 sessions will cover topics inthe fo l l owing fi ve main categori e s : L e a d e rship Deve l o p m e n t ; Project Management;Wo rk - L i fe Balance; Health Education; and Pe rsonal Finances. C o n ference registra t i o ni n fo rmation will be av a i l a ble on the WCTF page of the CEW website in October atw w w. c e w. u m i c h . e d u

CEW Programs and Events Information on-lineSeptember 10. Register early. www.cew.umich.edu