RECOMMENDATION 2: BASE ACTION PLANS ON RESEARCH RESULTS.

Discussion of the problem: Research, one leg of the tripartite missions of our universities, is integral to our academic values, yet it is too rarely brought to bear on processes of change in our own institutions. We call here upon our leadership to (1) apply the considerable body of research on gender in higher education to institutional practices; (2) utilize institutional research capacity to produce the data necessary to raise consciousness, instigate action, and monitor progress on our campuses; and (3) examine the degree to which the research programs and priorities of our institutions equitably benefit women.

Vision for the Year 2000:

1. Annual seminars or colloquia in each academic department include at least one session devoted to research on gender issues relevant to the discipline or to higher education more generally.

2. Gender is a variable introduced into all pertinent programs of institutional research. Aggregate institutional data no longer mask gender differences.

3. Gender equity is an important consideration in the planning and budgeting for facilities, staffing, and programs.

4. University research programs equitably involve women as researchers and as beneficiaries of research programs, and benefits to women and children are a criterion by which the significance of research programs is measured.