UWO Women’s Center

Campus Center for Equity & Diversity
717 W. Irving Ave.
Oshkosh, WI 54901

(920) 424-0963
womenscenter@uwosh.edu


The Women's Center will be closed the week of spring break 3/25-3/29. If you need immediate assistance email cssb@uwosh.edu.

Spring 2024 Hours

Monday 11:00am-8:00pm
Tuesday 11:00am-8:00pm
Wednesday 11:00am-8:00pm
Thursday 11:00am-8:00pm
Friday 11:00am-4:00pm

Charge and Council Implementation

In September 1998, UW System President Kathryn Lyall formed a 29-person ad hoc Committee to study the status of women on campuses throughout the System. Between October 1998 and October 1999, the Committee gathered information from several sources: statistical data through the Office of Policy Analysis and Research, a mail survey to a sample of University constituents, focus groups at each UW institution, and a poll of Chancellors to identify best practices. The UW System Report on the Status of Women was the culmination of the Committee’s year-long effort.

Equality for Women in the University of Wisconsin System: A Focus for Action in the Year 2000, was issued in October of 1999.  That report made five broad recommendations to be implemented at both University System level and at each campus level.  Those recommendations were as follows:

  1. Expand educational opportunities for women students.
  2. Increase the hiring, promotion, and retention of women faculty, academic staff, and classified staff.
  3. Make the learning and working environment more welcoming to women, and especially women of color and women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
  4. Provide conditions that allow for balancing work and personal life.
  5. Create an effective organizational structure for improving the status of women in the University of Wisconsin System.

As required by the UW System plan, the Provost’s Office appointed a Task Force on Women’s Issues to develop the University’s ten-year plan to address women’s issues on the UW Oshkosh campus. The Task Force was composed of faculty, academic staff, classified staff, and students. In response to the UW System mandate, the Task Force identified goals, objectives, and initiatives around the five major areas.

Charge Revision

The Gender Equity Council was formed in 2000 and charged to act in consultation with the Chancellor to oversee the development of programs that support goals, objectives and initiatives of the Ten Year Plan addressing women’s issues.  This plan came out from the Committee on the Status of Women in the University of Wisconsin system. Post establishment of the Women’s Center, Gender Equity Council, reorganized itself to work with the Chancellor to represent “a voice for all genders* on the UW Oshkosh campus, the Gender Equity Council advocates ensuring that the needs of all genders* are recognized and addressed. As advocates, the Council will collaborate with and support other campus groups who are engaged in related endeavors and respond to current and emerging challenges with campus wide policies.” The charge was updated in 2010.

Genders replaces the word women to acknowledge that our work includes advocacy for equity among all genders.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, the charge was revised to the following:
“The Gender Equity Council advocates for the needs of all genders. In consultation with the Chancellor and in collaboration with other campus groups, the Council will identify, address, and end all forms of gender inequity at UW Oshkosh.”