A new task force will study the status of women at Dartmouth after more than two decades of co-education.
Class of 1994 President Dan Garodnick is forming a Task Force on the Status of Women at Dartmouth to "examine how far this campus has come in being a hospitable place to women since becoming co-educational 21 years ago," Garodnick said.
The task force will address questions of whether men and women have similar opportunities on campus, if women on campus are facing the same problems as when Dartmouth first admitted them 21 years ago and if both sexes are able to fulfill their college expectations at Dartmouth.
The group will convene at the beginning of the Winter term and will submit a final report to Dean of Students Lee Pelton in June 1994. The report and its recommendations on improvements will be made public then.
"This is a large undertaking and I'm hopeful that the organizers will be able to focus their thoughts so that they can develop some specific data," Pelton said.
Garodnick said the idea for the task force originated from conversations with several '94 women last spring. He said the discussions unearthed problems that women face on campus that he did not realize existed.
Garodnick said he thought a "comprehensive examination of the issue was appropriate and needed."
The group will also address issues such as housing, safety and health, classroom dynamics, relationships, extra-currriculars, sports and social life.
Garodnick said the task force will not be a "forum for man-bashing." Instead, it will research and conduct surveys that contrast experiences of past graduating classes with those of current undergraduates.
Task force members will speak with students at other schools about problems women face on those campuses, Garodnick said. He said he hopes the task force will be able to conduct focus groups and panel discussions.
The group will consist of 20 students chosen by the four class presidents and their class councils. All undergraduate students will receive a letter next week introducing the task force and an application for membership.
The class councils will choose task force members who can share diverse viewpoints and experiences.
"I'm looking for people who are going to come into this task force without a preconceived notion of where it's going to end up. I think this will add to the legitimacy of its findings," Garodnick said.
Students who are not chosen for the task force will be able to participate in other areas, such as committee work, Garodnick said.
In the planning and continuation of the task force, Garodnick has been assisted by Class of 1995 President Tim Rodenberger, Class of 1996 President Brendan Doherty, Class of 1996 Vice President Tom Caputo, and Class of 1997 President Pam Saunders.
Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia will advise the task force.
"What I hope will come out of it is that it will be a real collaborative effort with a lot of people involved," Sateia said.
Garodnick said he also consulted specialists at the Women's Resource Center and several captains of women's sports teams. He hopes to "reach out and draw from as many resources as possible to make sure the study is complete and effective."
Funding for the task force is currently being evaluated.
