Women's Studies Program records, 1981-2008 (bulk 1981-2002)

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Summary

Creator:
Duke University Women's Studies Program
Abstract:
The Women's Studies Program at Duke University started in 1983 and grew rapidly into one of the largest interdisciplinary programs at the University, now called Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. The Women's Studies Program Records contain materials related to the foundation, growth, activities, and alumni of the Women's Studies Program.
Extent:
35 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials in English
Collection ID:
UA.25.41.0001
University Archives Record Group:
25 -- Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
25 -- Trinity College of Arts and Sciences > 41 -- Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies

Background

Scope and content:

The Women's Studies Program Records contain materials related to the foundation, growth, activities, and alumni of the Women's Studies Program. Included are correspondence, minutes, reports, newsletters, flyers, budgets, programs, surveys, and many other materials. Topics include the development of the Women's Studies Program from a certificate program to an undergraduate major and minor as well as the growth of graduate scholarship; the curriculum of the Program and the inclusion of women's studies and women's topics in other areas of the University; outreach to and fundraising with Duke alumni women and others; programs and events organized by Women's Studies, especially the Graduate Research Conference and other large conferences hosted by Women's Studies; the work of the Council on Women's Studies; and a survey given to all women alumni of Duke from the 1920s through the 1980s including questions related to their Duke experience, activities since graduation, and perspective on women's issues, among many other subjects. The majority of the materials date from Jean O'Barr's tenure as director of Women's Studies.

Biographical / historical:

The Women's Studies Program at Duke University started in 1983 with "a single desk in the corner of 119 East Duke", and grew rapidly into one of the largest interdisciplinary programs at the University, now called Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies.

Beginning in 1983, Women's Studies offered an undergraduate certification and sought to bring scholarship on women and gender issues into the curriculum across Trinity College. From 1984 to 1990, Women's Studies offered "mainstreaming grants," awards given to Duke faculty to develop and teach classes in their own areas of specialty that included women and women's roles and accomplishments in transformative ways. Graduate courses were first offered in 1987, with the first Graduate Research Conference held in 1990, organized by and focusing on graduate students and their work. An undergraduate major was first granted in 1994. In 1998, Jean O'Barr was named the Margaret Taylor Smith Director, believed to be the nation's first endowed director's chair in women's studies, founded in large part by alumna Margaret Taylor Smith. Jean O'Barr stepped down as director in 2001, and was followed by Robyn Wiegman until 2007, Ranjana Khanna until 2015, Priscilla Wald until 2019, and Jolie Olcott. In 2016, the name of the program was changed to Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies.

An Advisory Board was formed in 1984 to assist the director in considering the goals of the program, planning faculty activities, and promoting the program widely. The Board consisted of the program director, several faculty members, and staff including a reference librarian and others. The Advisory Board was renamed the Steering Committee in 1991. In 1985, Jean O'Barr began discussions with administrators about forming a friend's group for the Women's Studies Program, and in 1986 the Council on Women's Studies was formed to increase the Program's visibility, provide advice, and fundraise. Judy Woodruff served as the first chair of the Council, which consisted of alumni and friends of Duke and Women's Studies.

Sources: "History", Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies website, https://gendersexualityfeminist.duke.edu/about/history, accessed 2019 July 24.

Acquisition information:

Transfer, 1984-2004

Accessions: UA1988-14, UA1989-27. UA1989-61, UA1990-113, UA1990-22, UA1990-74, UA1991-20, UA1992-96, UA1993-12, UA1993-17, UA1993-39, UA1994-87, UA1994-89, 1995-107, UA1995-65, UA1996-88, UA1997-33, UA1998-65, UA1999-59, UA2001-3, UA2002-60, UA2003-11, UA2004-67

Processing information:

Finding aid derived from MARC record, November 2014

Processed by Tracy M. Jackson, 2019. Multiple accessions were combined into one collection.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials


Restrictions:

For a period of twenty-five years from the origin of the material, permission in writing from the office of origin and the University Archivist is required for use of administrative records. After twenty-five years, records that have been processed may be consulted with the permission of the University Archivist. Contact Research Services for more information.

Records of the University's Board of Trustees which have been in existence for at least fifty years are available for scholarly research with the permission of the University Archivist. Access to records which have been in existence for less than fifty years shall be granted only by special permission, in writing, from the Board of Trustees. Contact Research Services for more information.

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, Duke University permits students to inspect their education records and limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records.

Records, such as search committee files or others pertaining to employment where individuals are identified, are closed for 70 years.

Use of audiotapes and videotapes from this collection requires the creation of reference copies. Reference copies for some materials may have been made, and if a reference copy exists, it is noted in this finding aid. To arrange for the creation of reference copies of other items, please contact University Archives staff. Although these recordings are now stored in a stable environment, their condition and playback quality is unknown.

Electronic records in this collection have been migrated to a library server and digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the Rubenstein Library Reading Room. To request access, please contact a reference archivist before coming to use these records.

Terms of access:

Copyright for official university records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], in the Women's Studies Program records, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.