President's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (PACSW)

PACSW [n. pack-saw]

Promoting and upholding gender justice for women-identifying and trans spectrum members of the USF community.

Our Mission

The President's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (PACSW) serves as an advising body to the president of the University of San Francisco to promote and uphold gender justice for woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals at the University of San Francisco by: (1) building university capacity around gender justice for all faculty, staff, and students; (2) engaging the campus community in critical, reflective actions and dialogue on gender justice; and (3) informing campus policies, procedures, and infrastructure development that inform and uphold gender justice.

Core Values

PACSW approved the following core values designed to achieve our mission in August 2022

Capacity Building and Leadership Formation:

  • Educating the university community about issues facing woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals in professional, educational, and other contexts.
  • Supporting the intersectional identities of all woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals and how they shape individual and community interactions.
  • Providing funding and support for University initiatives and projects that promote the advancement of gender justice in the University context and beyond.

Community Building and Dialogue 

  • Collaborating with groups, divisions across campus and community organizations that help move the PACSW mission forward.
  • Fostering allyship towards woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals so as to create a more inclusive campus climate.
  • Providing safe spaces that foster reflective dialogue and camaraderie with and among woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals within the University for continued knowledge sharing, mentoring, and community building. 

Policy and Infrastructure Development 

  • Creating opportunities for woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals in the University to continue to: increase their capacity professionally and personally; and, support and encourage women to take leadership roles within USF and in their communities.
  • Working with key university areas charged to assess the USF climate and to understand the current areas that foster success or create barriers for women at USF.  
  • Advocating for gender equity and inclusivity within USF, the campus community, and more broadly, both generally and in response to incidents that happen within the university community that challenges the values of PACSW.
  • Assess and advise campus policies, procedures, programming, and activities that impact woman-identified and trans spectrum individuals.

PACSW Mini-Grant

Please note application submissions for the 2024-25 fiscal year are now open.  Mini-grants range from $25-500 depending on fund availability.

PACSW Mentoring Program

In Fall 2018, PACSW launched the Women's Co-Mentoring Program. In support of our mission, the program seeks to increase confidence, community, and capacity amongst woman-identified employees at the University of San Francisco. The program aims to accomplish this through the creation of intentional, time-bound one-on-one relationships between University employees based on confidentiality and collegiality. Learn more about the program »