The Commission on the Status of Women is administratively attached to the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity and the Chair of this Commission serves as an active member of the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity staff with reporting responsibilities to the President.

The Commission advises the President on issues, policies, and practices that affect women at UAB. The Commission proposes initiatives to ensure that UAB fairly meets the needs of its women employees and students. The Commission reports regularly, through the Vice President for Equity and Diversity, to the President and UAB community on the status of women at UAB.

The officers of the Commission are a Chair and a Vice Chair.

The Chair:

Presides over meetings of the Commission and appoints standing and ad hoc committees necessary for the function of the Commission.

Is appointed by the President or designee.

Serves a three-year term and can be reappointed once.

The Vice Chair:

Serves in the absence of the Chair.
Is nominated and elected by membership.
Serves a three-year term and can be reelected once.

A part-time staff person attached to the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Diversity will provide secretarial support for the Commission. In addition, staff from the Office of Planning and Information Management will serve in a support role for the data needs of the Commission.

The Commission will hold regular meetings at a time and place arranged by the Chair.

Each member, as well as the Chair, has one vote.

Two-thirds, or sixty-six percent of the commission membership constitutes a quorum. Electronic proxy is permitted. Physical presence is not required.

A simple majority (fifty-one percent of the membership) is required for all decisions, except bylaw changes which require a quorum.

If a decision is needed immediately, the Chair will post emergency decisions electronically to commission members and give consideration to feedback.

In the first year the Commission is established and thereafter upon notification by the Commission, each academic and medical school, library and administrative unit (Vice Presidential level with more than 50 staff members) will collect nominations for commission membership from faculty, staff, administrators, or students. Nominees should be committed to accomplishing the work of the Commission and must be available for meetings.

Each school and library can select and forward to the Commission the names of two nominees and each administrative unit can nominate one person.

The Chair will appoint a three-person membership committee to be responsible for reviewing each pair of nominees from the schools and libraries, identifying one nominee for membership and one nominee for alternate membership. The membership committee will verify the willingness and availability of each nominee to serve as members of the Commission.

Alternate members serve in absence of the corresponding members and may serve on committees.

The Council of Student Government Presidents has ex officio appointments for three students who respectively represent undergraduate students, graduate students, and students in the professional schools.

Each of the listed organizations may have an ex officio appointee on the Commission. Ex officio appointees are the responsibility of the particular organization.

The membership committee will present an annual slate of nominees to the Commission for approval. This slate of nominees should allow one-third of the membership to rotate off each year.

After the first year the Commission is established, the slate of nominees must receive a quorum vote to be approved by the Commission. If approved, the slate of nominees will be forwarded by the Chair to the President of the University for confirmation and appointment.

The President, Provosts, and Vice President for Equity and Diversity hold ex officio memberships. The membership committee may recommend ex officio membership to others as necessary for the functions of the Commission.

The Commission will have no more than 20 regular members.

An individual who serves one term and then sits out for a term is eligible to serve a second term. The reappointment of ex officio appointees is the responsibility of the particular program.

Commission members are expected to attend all meetings.  Absences should be reported in advance or as soon as possible.  Three unexplained absences in an academic year will result in a recommendation to the President that the member's appointment be terminated.

The Commission will appoint standing committees to deal with such issues as those listed below. The number and titles of standing committees are not fixed.

1. Representation & Compensation

2. Campus Climate & Environment

3. Communication & Outreach

4. Membership