Involvement with the UNLV Women’s Council is open to all academic, administrative, and classified employees who are interested in supporting the Council’s mission.
The Council founded five key task forces to help foster an academic community where women are respected, valued, and supported in their professional and personal growth. Learn more about the advocacy and accomplishments of our five task forces below.
If you are interested in actively participating in the work of the Women’s Council, please join one of our Task Forces.
Are you an advocate for workplace equality?
The Hiring, Retention and Assessment Task Force
- Collects and assesses workplace data and distributes findings as it pertains to UNLV women
- Provides advocacy related to gender equity in hiring, salary, retention, and work environment
- Reviews and promotes evidence-based best practices to address gender issues on campus
Accomplishments:
- Advocated for salary equity and transparency among administrative faculty and produced a white paper reporting on trends and best practices in university salary equity efforts nationwide
- Reviewed processes and collected data relating to administrative faculty promotions with further exploration into policies governing retention and promotion
- Researched information about exit interviews and best practices in higher education and shared findings with UNLV administrators
- Established the annual GIVE Diversity Award (Growth, Inclusivity, Voice and Excellence), recognizing individual and student-led initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion
- Developed relationships with other groups across campus and the state of Nevada to support women in advancement, address perceived inequities in service, and identify processes for promotion
Do you love networking and making connections across campus?
The Programming Task Force
- Provides educational and networking opportunities to cultivate women’s leadership, research, publication, collaboration, and support
- Collaborates with other campus constituents on programs, research, and outreach
- Shares findings with the Women’s Council and the UNLV community
Accomplishments:
- Collaborated with fellow council members and other UNLV groups to produce special programming and networking opportunities including the Women’s Council fall welcome mixer, Take Your Child to Work Day event, annual membership meeting, new faculty orientation and affinity groups mixer
- Hosted the annual Celebrating Our Successes event, a program highlighting the accomplishments of UNLV women who have achieved important milestones in their professional careers
- Past keynote speakers have included North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown and Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President of Nevada State University.
- Hosted a cooking class at the College of Hospitality to provide summer community programming
- Sponsored and participated in other events throughout the year including:
- 1st Gen Week
- Black Professional Women’s Association’s International Women’s Day Workshop
- Speak Out Event
- New Leadership Nevada program with the UNLV’s Women’s Research Institute of Nevada
- Organized a successful SafeNest Donation Drive and a Speaker Series event showcasing women in higher education
- Coordinated an informal summer lunch fellowship at the Dining Commons and a weekly walking group
Do you enjoy being “in the know” and creating content to get the word out?
The Communication and Membership Task Force
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Writes content and communicates information, events and news regarding the Women's Council and UNLV women through the Council’s website, monthly e-newsletter, emails and Instagram account.
- Showcases the accomplishments of UNLV women
- Welcomes new Women’s Council members and facilitates their onboarding process
Accomplishments:
- Spotlighted the contributions of UNLV women working behind the scenes in the Women’s Council’s monthly newsletter, social media and website
- Expanded the monthly e-newsletter to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of various departments and affinity groups across campus
- Developed the Women’s Council social media presence on Instagram - sharing news, information and upcoming events
- Distributed important and timely information to Women’s Council members regarding programs supporting gender equity and inclusion on campus
- Planned events pertaining to communications and networking to support and build comradery with fellow Women’s Council members
Do you want to support women and their families and ensure they have the resources they need?
The Family Advocacy Task Force
- Identifies the current and growing needs of UNLV women and their families
- Identifies and advocates for resources necessary to meet these needs
- Encourages the development of policy in support of families
Accomplishments:
- Launched UNLV’s annual Take Your Child to Work Day event with more than 700 children, parent, relatives, and friends in attendance and more than twenty outreach events for employees and their families
- Advocated for preschool facility expansion on campus, working with campus leaders to support greater childcare opportunities and alternatives for campus families
- Endorsed university policies supporting working women with young children and their participation in the workplace
- Advocated for the installation and maintenance of lactation rooms on campus to ensure nursing women have a private, safe, and clean space to express breast milk.
- Worked with facilities department to install changing tables across campus in both male, female, and gender-neutral restrooms to protect the health and safety of children and encourage a family friendly environment on campus
- Advocated for the development of childcare and programming initiatives beyond preschool for children of UNLV families
- Continued to advocate for and support University policies that would facilitate the ongoing participation in the workplace of women with young children
Are you passionate about protecting women and empowering them to lead their healthiest lives?
The Health and Safety Task Force
- Identifies and shares health and safety resources on campus and in the community
- Hosts health and safety events and programming to educate and share information
- Researches and reviews best practices in higher education for facilitating health and wellness among university employees
Accomplishments:
- Offered safety and wellness programs on topics including mental health, active assailant training, pelvic floor health and OD response
- Partnered with the Women’s Council Family Advocacy Task Force to offer programs relevant to family issues and wellness, including improved paid parental leave and child care options
- Collaborated with others on campus to address building-specific emergency procedures and evacuation protocols
- Hosted an estate planning and financial health workshop