Civil Service/Bargaining Unit
Women's Program Planning Committee
History:
The University of Minnesota Commission on Women was established in 1988 to improve and enrich the work and learning environments for women. During the 1992-93 academic year, the Commission on Women established the Civil Service and Bargaining Unit (CS/BU) Women’s Initiative to address concerns of CS/BU women. Focus groups evaluated the climate for CS/BU women and a steering committee was formed.
In 1994 and 1995, the initiative sponsored a bag lunch series, the “Looking at Leadership in the Mirror” national conference, and created the CS/BU Staff Award. The initiative has continued to sponsor career, professional, and personal development programming through brown bag lunch sessions and round-table discussions, and to develop further avenues to support CS/BU staff women.
Transitions and New Name
The 1997-98 academic year was a time of transition for the CS/BU Women’s Initiative as the University’s Commission on Women was restructured. Following task force recommendations, in July of 1998, the Commission on Women was renamed the Office for University Women (OUW), and the office became a unit of the Office of the Vice President and Vice Provost for Equity and Diversity. During this transition, the CS/BU Women’s Initiative held focus groups to assess work environment issues for CS/BU women that could guide future programming.
During these times of change, this energetic CS/BU committee has continued to work with OUW to develop and offer programming for CS/BU women, and in 2006, committee members voted to change the group’s name from CS/BU Women’s Initiative Steering Committee to CS/BU Women’s Program Planning Committee to better reflect its primary role.
In addition to program development, the CS/BU Women’s Program Planning Committee will continue to assist in recognizing the accomplishments and service of CS/BU women by promoting the CS/BU Staff Award, as well as staffing a booth to promote the Committee’s work at the annual University of Minnesota Staff Day program.