The University may hire a female physician as its head of the Department of Women's Health Care within Ritenour Health Center.

"We are extending an offer to (be) a physician in charge of women's health who is a top-flight physician," William Asbury, vice president of Student Services, told the Commission for Women yesterday. "We hope she'll be able to come in and do the kind of things you want to see happen in the department."

Other officials said they hope the new position will give the department cohesiveness and direction.

The Department of Women's Health currently has four staff members and a director should give the current staff the direction it needs, said Susan Kennedy, director of health promotion and education for University Health Services.

"I'm really pleased with the full complement of staff for the Women's Health Department," said Kennedy, a commission member.

Asbury, who would not release the name of the candidate, made the announcement during a presentation to the commission in which he updated the current status of recommendations made in 1988 by the Strategic Study Group on the Status of Women.

The commission, established in 1985, addresses problems faced by women in the University community and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the study's recommendations.

In 1986 the commission made public the first of five reports on the status of women at Penn State along with recommendations to improve these conditions.

The success of the Office of Health Promotion and Education within University Health Services has increased demand for women's health care, Asbury said. The more successful the department's education and promotion programs are, the more people use the services available at Ritenour, he said.

"We have one of the best health promotion and education programs in the country," Asbury said.

Chandra Lillie, co-director for Penn State Pro-Choice, said she was optimistic about the new position. The new group recently circulated a petition calling for improved women's health care.

"It's great that they finally got around to it. (The position) is certainly well needed," Lillie said.

Asbury also reported the status of several other recommendations including:

-- Continued prevention and educational programming for sexual harassment. The Center for Women Students currently offers such programs to students, faculty and staff, he said. At some Commonwealth campuses such programs are mandatory for faculty and staff, but they are given on a volunteer basis at University Park.

-- Developing an office of child care services. Asbury and several other administrators have recently drafted a description of the position of director for the future office, Asbury said.

-- Investigating and improving the educational climate for women.

Several members of the commission suggested to Asbury that a student survey be conducted to study the current status of the educational environment at University Park. A similar survey for faculty and staff has already been completed.

-- Developing a presidential statement condemning sexual assault and its contributing attitudes. Asbury said such a statement would be easy to formulate but suggested the timing of it would be important. He suggested it might be done when the second pamphlet on the University's sexual assault services comes out later this semester.

Asbury said he is pleased with the progress being made on the study's recommendations.

"Student Services is moving forward well on those issues under its authority," said Billie Willits, assistant vice president for human resources and interim affirmative action officer.