News Release
Commission for Women Seeks Research Participants
February 2, 2009
Penn State’s Commission for Women is sponsoring a study of faculty parents at Penn State to better understand how they balance the dual responsibilities of work and family in the year following the birth or adoption of a child. Focus groups of Penn State faculty (must be fixed-term multi-year, standing, tenure-track, or tenured) whose appointments are based at University Park or a Commonwealth campus will be held at both the University Park campus and Penn State Harrisburg from February 17-24, 2009. This study is being conducted for research purposes.
Participants are now being recruited to join a two hour focus group discussion on this topic. Eligibility criteria for participation include having had or adopted a child in the past four years while holding a Penn State fixed-term multi-year, standing, tenure-track, or tenured faculty position. Both women and men are eligible. For more information about eligibility and dates of groups, please visit the commission’s Web site http://www.equity.psu.edu/cfw or contact Nicole Sturges, project coordinator, at 888-778-2775 or nls17@psu.edu. Interested employees are asked to respond by Friday, February 13, 2009.
The Commission for Women was established in 1981 to serve as an advisory group to the President on issues affecting women and to guide the University in its efforts to enhance the status of women at Penn State. The commission advocates for programs and policies that improve the working and learning environments for women students, faculty and staff members, technical service employees, and administrators.
Who is sponsoring this research? Commission for Women (CFW) and members of the CFW Family Leave Committee.
Who is conducting this research? The Center for Survey Research at Penn State Harrisburg with faculty participants from the CFW Family Leave Committee.
Eligibility criteria:
- Employed by Penn State as a fixed-term multi-year, standing, tenure-track, or tenured faculty member. College of Medicine faculty are not eligible.
- Had or adopted a child in the last four years (the definition of child includes any biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child for which an employee is standing in loco parentis, who is under 18, or over 18 and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability).
- Was an employee of Penn State in one of the above classifications at the time you had or adopted the child.
- Both men and women are eligible.
Dates and times:
University Park Sessions – these sessions are for UP faculty ONLY
Session 1 for UP Faculty Only
Friday, February 20, 2009
1:00-2:15 p.m.
302 Old Main
Session 2 for UP Faculty Only
Saturday, February 21, 2009
10:00-11:15 a.m
118 Willard
Session 3 for UP Faculty Only
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
302 Old Main
Harrisburg Campus Sessions – these sessions are for faculty at Commonwealth Campuses ONLY
Session 1
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Noon-1:15 p.m.
E310 Olmsted
Session 2
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
3:00-4:15 p.m.
139 Church Hall
Selection process and notification:
Interested faculty should contact Nicole Sturges, project coordinator, at 888-778-2775 or nls17@psu.edu with their preferred date and time, and to be screened for eligibility. Spaces in the focus group sessions are available on a first-come first-served basis. Sessions must have a minimum of five eligible faculty members, with no more than ten eligible faculty members in a session. The focus group sessions with the most participation at each campus location will be conducted. Interested eligible faculty will be notified via e-mail of the date and time selected once recruiting has ended.