Women's Studies College records

Collection — Carton: 1

Identifier: 34-5-1348

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains materials related to the Women's Studies College and the Department of Women's Studies between the years of 1971 and 1987. Included are notes, correspondence, fliers, course catalogs, college descriptions, college histories, petitions, syllabi, course materials, newsletters, and publications. Much of the material in this collection relates to two major controversies which strained the WSC's relationship with the University's administrators, specifically concerning rechartering in 1974 and the 1975 debate over the legality of women-only classes in the college.

Dates

1971-1987

Creator

State University of New York at Buffalo. Women's Studies College (Organization)

Terms of Access and Use

The Women's Studies College records, 1971-1987 are open to researchers.

Copyright

Copyright is held by The State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Historical Note

In Spring 1970, members of Buffalo Women's Liberation designed and taught "Women in Contemporary Society" for the first time at the University at Buffalo. Overwhelming response to the course and the rising women's movement of the late sixties and early seventies called for a greater discussion of women's issues, and led to the idea of a women's studies program at UB. In Spring 1971, proposal and guidelines for a women's studies program were accepted, and the Women's Studies College was born.

The Women's Studies College operated on the basic principles of the women's movement. Their goal was to combine education with action, but this goal was not accepted by everyone at UB; WSC received some pushback from the rest of the University. An attempt to recharter in 1974 put the college under scrutiny, and threats of budget cuts and even disbandment shook the WSC's foundation. In 1975, the all-women's courses included in the college's curriculum brought similar distress to WSC. Despite these setbacks, WSC continued as an entity until 1982, when it became a sub-program of the American Studies Department.

Extent

1 Linear Feet (1 record carton)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Materials related to the Women's Studies College from 1971-1987 at the State University of New York at Buffalo, including correspondence, petitions, charter drafts, and other materials.

Arrangement

The Women's Studies College records, 1971-1987 are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Acquisition Information

The Women's Studies College records are a compilation of three separate gifts to the University Archives by Ellen DuBois in August 1982 and September 1988 as accessions 82-058 and 88-038, respectively, and by Joan Forman in September 1994 as accession 94-26.