President's statement regarding the report of UB Task Force on Women

The report of the Task Force is reproduced in its entirety as an insert in today's Reporter for the review and use of our entire university community. It indicates where we can be proud of the progress we have made, and where we need to go farther. I have accepted-indeed, welcomed-the recommendations of the Task Force. When a report of this magnitude is released, the natural question to ask is, "Where do we begin? What do we do?" All of us need to treat the Task Force report as a text from which we can learn and teach, as well as a basis for further analysis. But we must also take the first action steps.

To that end, I have asked the provost and vice presidents to share this report with senior leadership in their areas. I will be expecting each decanal and vice presidential area to return, by the end of this semester, a detailed reaction to the Task Force's findings and recommendations, as well as an action plan for appropriate responses to those recommendations. While some of the issues raised in the report are long-term issues, it is often the case that addressing more "doable" matters initially facilitates progress on larger concerns. I will therefore urge the senior leadership to focus first on short- to middle-term issues which can be accomplished in concrete ways within a relatively short period of time.

Some other issues-particularly the availability to women of senior positions-will be resolved in the middle-term, as senior colleagues who came to UB in the mid-1960s to early 1970s retire. Progress on these issues will also be made by conducting more effective affirmative action searches for key senior positions. While in the past UB has undertaken such searches in good faith, we have rarely identified more than one or two competitive candidates of any sort for any given position; we have found even fewer candidates, such as women, whose appointments would also help satisfy our diversity initiatives. We must find ways to do better in the future. We need to put much more emphasis on aggressive recruitment efforts for our senior leadership positions.

More immediate ways in which we can all participate in the advancement of women at UB include participating in Women's History Month (March) and supporting Take Our Daughters to Work Day (April 24). Many of us can easily remember the days when the abilities and accomplishments of approximately half of our national population were less valued. It behooves us all to remind each other, and to teach the next generation, about the important contributions that women have made, do make, and will make in years to come-and about the integral role that women, as leaders, scholars, and colleagues, play here at UB. It also behooves us, as the Task Force has indicated in its report, to help maximize the contributions of and opportunities for women at UB.

In working toward that end, we will need support and commitment from every sector of our campus community. The Task Force was created precisely because problems were perceived in some areas, and a considerable amount of frustration stemmed from them. In such a situation, whatever reports or suggestions are generated by an initial approach, there will always be some few who wish to politicize initiatives and point fingers. We must all resist the temptation to become defensive when confronted with such attitudes; our goal is effectiveness, not defensiveness, and we must approach the work ahead of us with equanimity and open-mindedness in order to move forward.

I believe that we will move forward on these issues. Our university community has determined, intelligent, dedicated people at every level and in every area. Improving the climate for women at UB will take the best effort each of us can offer, beginning with a thoughtful review of and cogent responses to the report. Please read it carefully, and stand ready to participate in our efforts to adopt and implement the Task Force's recommendations.

Sincerely,
William R. Greiner