Women students will have the opportunity to voice their views and concerns during two open discussion forums scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

These sessions, sponsored by the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women and the Women’s Alliance, will focus on campus issues and how they affect women. Susan Vermuelen, member of the Women’s Alliance said, “our main purpose is to hear the opinions and concerns facing women students and provide support.”

The forums will address a variety of issues ranging from sexual discrimination in the classroom to campus safety. Vermuelen added the sessions not only want to discuss problems facing women students, but they also hope to access the positive aspects of NIU’s campus, citing the late night ride service as one such program.

Each session will begin with a brief introduction after which participants will be asked to join small discussion groups. These groups will not only provide women with the opportunity to voice their concerns but will also aid in the development of new proposals.

The information obtained from these groups will be compiled into a report which will be presented to various NIU offices including the President’s Office and the Student Affairs Office.

Carole Minor, director of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, said the main goal of the report is to improve the lives of women on campus. She encouraged the participation of all students, emphasizing that women who are willing to share their views and experiences will help the Commission to identify specific problems and offer support for women who have been the victim of sexist attitudes.

Minor said she expects a wide variety of issues to be raised in the discussions, including sexism and discrimination in the classroom.

According to a study done by the Commission last semester, over 10 percent of women students at NIU feel they have been the victims of sexual discrimination in the classroom. Minor said she thinks this percentage is probably much higher, adding that a woman is a victim of discrimination any time she has been treated differently because of her gender.

Minor also urged graduate students to participate in the forum, noting that graduate students tend to have increased contact with their instructors, making them more susceptible to discrimination.

The forum will be held Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center, and on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the HSC Illinois Room.