Emphasizing civil discourse, evenhanded treatment inside and outside the classroom, and sensitivity to differences in background and culture will benefit the entire campus and broaden every student's horizons. Because of the complexity of the above issues and their prevalence as well as their persistence, the task force strongly encourages the University to take a closer look at the overall experience of its underrepresented minority students. As was true with minority concerns, students themselves did not raise gender issues in our listening conversations with them. A number of our task force members, however, related concerns that students have expressed to them. We realize that these issues are not unique to the University community, but they do bear on some students' experience.
Some graduate students perceive a relationship between gender and success in an academic discipline.
Issues raised include progress toward degree, problems with collegiality within an insufficiently diverse faculty, and in some instances of difficulties finding mentors. The University's recent establishment of the Gender Studies Center and program should help remedy this situation for those students studying gender issues. We suggest that members of the center be consulted in future studies of gender issues involving the University community. Some students, particularly undergraduates, report difficulties establishing and maintaining appropriate social relationships and boundaries with their peers. We encourage the University to make better known its resources for advising and assisting students with questions and concerns in this area.