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Records of the Office of Student Guidance and Counseling

 Collection
Identifier: 30/2

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of materials and records of the various student activities and organizations on the Evanston Campus of Northwestern University under the direction and control of the Office of Student Guidance and Counseling. In addition it contains materials of some related, non-student regulatory groups which cooperate with that Office to direct those student activities and organizations to which they are related.

The Records of the Office of Student Guidance and Counseling occupy 74 boxes and span the period ca. 1909-1975, with the bulk of the records dating after 1940. They are arranged in 15 subseries, including student activities and organizations general files; activity reports; class council files; Associated Women Students files; dormitory membership Lists; fraternity membership lists; Panhellenic Association files; sorority membership lists; New Student Week materials; commencement files; homecoming files; and files relating to the intercollegiate Association of Women Students.

The student activities and organizations general files fill 11 boxes and are arranged alphabetically by names of organizations. They include such materials as the organizations' constitutions, statements of purpose, publicity materials, and handbooks and directories. The activity reports fill nine boxes and are arranged in chronological order, spanning the period 1951-1974. Those for 1970-1974 are in a separate box at the end of the series. These reports, submitted annually by each organization, list the organization's officers and advisers, if any, and some reports also include membership lists.

The records of the class councils fill three boxes and are arranged in chronological order, covering the councils of the classes of 1953 through 1970. They include class constitutions, requests for space for class activities, and correspondence and publicity materials concerning class gifts to the University. The files concerning the Associated Women Students fill three boxes and are arranged mainly in chronological order, covering the period 1953-1970. They consist chiefly of minutes, but also include copies of the organization's constitution and handbooks.

Membership lists for dormitory units fill four boxes and are arranged alphabetically by building or house name, spanning the period 1934-1972. Fraternity membership lists and scholarship statistics fill ten boxes and are arranged alphabetically by fraternity name. These lists were submitted each quarter of the academic year and revised periodically as necessary.

Panhellenic Association tiles occupy two boxes and span the period 1937-1955. They include minutes, financial records, and topical files on subjects such as membership quotas and rushing. Sorority membership lists and scholarship statistics fill seven boxes and are arranged alphabetically by sorority name.

New Student Week materials fill one box, covering the period 1927-1974 (though coverage before 1954 is spotty), arranged chronologically. Commencement files occupy nine boxes, spanning the period 1940-1966, and are also arranged chronologically; they include correspondence, forms, and charts connected with the coordination of the University's annual commencement. Homecoming files, of similar content, fill five boxes, covering the period 1945-1966, and are arranged in chronological order. Materials on the Intercollegiate Association of Women Students fill one box and consist chiefly of reports (1938-1955) and IAWS annual convention materials (1954-1957).

Dates

  • approximately 1909 - 1989

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations.

Extent

56.00 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Office of Student Guidance and Counseling was charged with responsibility for personal and vocational counseling services for students; with supervision of fraternities and sororities; and with administrative oversight of campus organizations and activities. The Records of the Office of Student Guidance and Counseling are arranged in 15 subseries, including student activities and organizations general files; activity reports; class council files; Associated Women Students files; dormitory membership Lists; fraternity membership lists; Panhellenic Association files; sorority membership lists; New Student Week materials; commencement files; homecoming files; and files relating to the intercollegiate Association of Women Students.

Arrangement Note

There are 56 boxes of material that fall into 14 major subject groups. These groups are arranged as the nature of the material dictated. Some are arranged in alphabetical order—for example the group on activities and organizations. Some are arranged in chronological order—for example the group containing the Student Governing Board minutes and the groups containing reports of various organizations. Some alphabetically arranged groups have chronological arrangements within their folders—for example the groups for dormitories, sororities and fraternities.

The collection covers approximately a 50-year period, ca. 1925-1974. The materials include items such as the following: agendas, constitutions, activities reports, descriptions of purpose and organizational structure, official correspondence and memos, membership lists, ceremonies' procedures, handbooks, programs, projects, and committee reports.

Method of Acquisition

These records were transferred to the University Archives by Virginia Landwehr, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Guidance and Counseling in 1974. No accession number was assigned.

Separated Materials

Approximately five boxes of Student Governing Board materials, one box of University Fraternity Board files, and one box of Interfraternity Council materials have been removed to the Archives' general reference files or discarded.

Processing Information

Katherine Geise, ca. 1975, James G. Carson. September 6, 1985.

Title
Guide to the Records of the Office of Student Guidance and Counseling
Author
Katherine Giese, James G. Carson
Date
01/01/1975
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Library Details

Part of the Northwestern University Archives Repository

Contact:
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Dr.
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635