The following email was circulated by the provost’s office to WMU deans and chairs (but not to the faculty or to the WMU-AAUP leadership and staff) on Thursday, April 11. Some faculty may have since received the information it contains from their department chairs. As of 5:30 p.m. today (Friday, April 12), many faculty members have not.

The email actually does not direct the chairs and deans to invite their faculty; it merely invites the addressees to “join [the provost] in viewing this webinar.”

However, because of the critical importance and timeliness of this topic — equal pay — at WMU, we believe that the faculty should be informed directly about the webinar event discussed in the email and invited to attend. Therefore, we reproduce below that email in its entirety. (The sender’s name and contact information have been redacted for privacy reasons).

The Equal Pay Webinar flier referenced in the email is linked here.

Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 3:34:36 PM
Subject: Invitation to the Equal Pay Webinar, Weds., April 17

Dear Colleagues,

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, and the American Association of University Women is hosting a webinar on the issue of equal pay for women. This webinar is targeted toward educators, career counselors, and others who are on the front lines of preparing college women for their careers. The attached flyer gives additional detail.

The provost invites you to join him in viewing this webinar on Wednesday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Fetzer Center. Please RSVP for the webinar to [the Office of Academic Affairs]. Thank you.

Office of the Provost
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5204
www.wmich.edu/provost