Guide to the Organization of Women Faculty Records
| Collection Title: | Organization of Women Faculty Records |
| Dates: | 1964-1994 |
| Identification: | 4/6/7 |
| Creator: | Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Organization of Women Faculty |
| Extent: | 5 Boxes |
| Language of Materials: | English |
| Abstract: | Organizing efforts leading to the founding of the Organization of Women Faculty began on the campus of Northwestern in 1969 with an ad-hoc committee of faculty and graduate women who studied the status of women at Northwestern University. The OWF was eventually established in February 1981 by a unanimous vote of more than thirty Northwestern University women faculty. The Records of the Organization of Women Faculty fill two boxes and span the years 1969-1992, with the bulk of material dating from 1981-1992. The records are divided into annual files and subject files. The annual files are arranged chronologically by date and typically contain correspondence, flyers, meeting agendas and minutes, sign-in sheets, inter-office memoranda, drafts and reports generated by OWF. Folders typically contain a variety of material including reports, notes, and clippings. Documented in the Records of the Organization of Women Faculty are suggested improvements in the treatment of lecturers at Northwestern University, a report on promotion and tenure in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a "survival kit" for new women faculty. |
| Acquisition Information: | The Records of the Organization of Women Faculty were donated to the University Archives by Shirley Chi of the Women's Center in October 1996 as Accession 96-149. Addition This addition to the Records of the Organization of Women Faculty was donated to the University Archives by Becket Bessolo of the Women's Center on June 13, 1997 as Accession 97-66. |
| Processing Information: | Aaron Skog and Kaia L. Densch, April, 1997. Addition Heather Guadagnino, July, 1997 |
| Separated Materials: | Approximately four inches of duplicate materials were discarded, and an additional four inches of extraneous materials were transferred to the Library's Special Collections Department. Two issues of the publication Program on Women (vol. 6, no. 1 and vol. 9, no. 1) were separated and filed with the University Archives holdings of University generated serial publications. Addition Approximately one cubic foot of duplicates and extraneous material was discarded. Numerous photos were separated and added to the Archives photograph collection. |
| Conditions Governing Access: | None. Addition None. |
| Repository: | Northwestern University Archives Deering Library, Room 110 1970 Campus Dr. Evanston, IL, 60208-2300 URL: http://www.library.northwestern.edu/archives Email: archives@northwestern.edu Phone: 847-491-3354 |
Biographical/Historical Information
The Organization of Women Faculty (OWF) was established in February 1981 by a unanimous vote of more than thirty Northwestern University women faculty. Efforts to launch such an organization, however, started in the late 1960's.
Organizing efforts began in 1969 with an ad-hoc committee of faculty and graduate women who studied the status of women at Northwestern University. The Committee examined the progress of the University's Affirmative Action Plan and proposed the creation of a women's studies program, which became the Program on Women after approval by the University Senate in 1971. Other work consisted of the study of faculty salaries beginning in 1978 and the implementation of a women's studies curriculum which had been approved by the CAS faculty in 1979.
Concern about the future of the Committee's efforts prompted a call for a formal organization of faculty women, which in February 1981, became the Organization of Women Faculty. Janet Abu-Lughod and Jenny Mansbridge were the first Co-Chairs of OWF. Subsequent meetings implemented a study of the high turnover rate of women faculty at Northwestern and addressed concern over seeming discrimination against retired faculty women by the TIAA-CREF Retirement Plan. OWF also drafted documents elaborating measures to be taken in cases of sexual harassment and worked to sensitize appropriate University officials to the effects of their actions upon women faculty.
Scope and Content
The Records of the Organization of Women Faculty fill two boxes and span the years 1969-1992, with the bulk of material dating from 1981-1992. The records are divided into annual files and subject files. The annual files are arranged chronologically by date and typically contain correspondence, flyers, meeting agendas and minutes, sign-in sheets, inter-office memoranda, drafts and reports generated by OWF.
Folders typically contain a variety of material including reports, notes, and clippings. Documented in the Records of the Organization of Women Faculty are suggested improvements in the treatment of lecturers at Northwestern University, a report on promotion and tenure in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a “survival kit” for new women faculty.
Arrangement of Materials
Subject folders are arranged alphabetically by title and chronologically by date within each folder.
Subjects
Corporate Name
Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.)--Faculty
Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Organization of Women Faculty
Subjects
Women college teachers--Illinois--Evanston
