Giving full attention to women's concerns is a necessary policy for any community, and one that the University appears to be following in some areas.

Last week Vice President for Student Services William Asbury announced that Penn State is offering a top woman physician the position of head of the Department of Women's Health Care within Ritenour Health Center. The announcement was part of an update to the Commission for Women on the University's progress in meeting women's needs.

A woman physician can best help the department to set realistic goals and create needed programs. Appointing a female director to the department only makes sense, as the department focuses on health care for women.

The sooner a director is chosen, the more quickly the department can work cohesively to improve women's health care. Complete results begin with complete staffing.

Penn State's progress in this direction looks promising. Other areas, however, still need to be addressed expediently. Recommendations made by the Strategic Study Group on the Status of Women in 1988 include:

-- Developing an office of child care services. Asbury has predicted that the University will have this office in place by the end of Spring Semester. To meet this goal, officials need to start by appointing a director for the future office.

The strategic study group found Penn State lacking in child-care services, and recommended the University provide affordable, quality family care opportunities. An effective day-care program would enable faculty, staff and students to continue their respective careers.

-- Developing a presidential statement condemning sexual assault and its contributing attitudes. When statistics show one in every eight women will be raped during her college years and one in every four will be the victim of an attempted sexual assault, a strong statement from the University against this assault appears obvious.

-- Continuing prevention and educational programming for sexual harassment. Making such programs mandatory for faculty and staff at University Park seems the logical consequence of requiring them at some Commonwealth campuses.

To work effectively toward improving the status of women at the University, officials must listen to these recommendations. Implementing offices, offering programs and speaking up are crucial to supporting an integral part of the University community.